Leeds tech roundup, week of 27 Jul 2026

Two Leeds cybersecurity firms closed funding rounds in the same week, which is either coincidence or a sign that investors are paying attention to what's coming out of the city. Xentra secured €3.18 million to scale services for SMEs, while a separate Leeds firm took £2.7 million from Maven Capital Partners. Elsewhere, a Leeds entrepreneur launched a business in memory of his daughter.

Funding & deals

Xentra secured €3.18 million to expand its cybersecurity services aimed at small and medium-sized businesses, according to EU-Startups. The Leeds-based firm will use the funding to grow its team and extend its reach across European markets. Xentra positions itself as a managed security provider for companies that lack in-house security resource — a segment that has attracted increasing investor interest as SME cyber incidents rise. It is one of two Leeds cybersecurity funding announcements in the same week. (EU-Startups)
A Leeds cybersecurity firm (unnamed in the headline) closed a £2.7 million investment from Maven Capital Partners, with the funding described as intended to "strengthen every part of the business", Insider Media reports. Maven is an active investor in Northern tech businesses, so the backing carries some weight beyond the headline number. The deal lands in the same week as Xentra's raise, giving Leeds a small but notable cluster moment in the security sector. (Insider Media via Google News)
A Leeds entrepreneur launched a new business inspired by the memory of his daughter, BusinessCloud reports. The piece does not detail the technology involved, but the founder's motivation centres on a personal loss that shaped the company's direction. Stories like this sit at the edge of what makes Leeds' startup scene distinct from purely VC-driven ecosystems — founders building around lived experience rather than market maps. (BusinessCloud)