Crossword Cybersecurity Share Discussion Threads

[a_game] 13/4/2019 10:24

Thanks for sharing timbo. NY Boy - I'm still accumulating too! The most exciting longer term share I hold :)

Top tier team developing products that will have significant commercial demand going forward in a hot sector. Gets a big tick from me.

[timbo003] 13/4/2019 07:02

I have a few of these having purchased shares in the last two placings (March 2018 whilst still on NEX and in December 2018 at the AIM IPO). I attended the AGM last May and wrote up a few notes which I posted on the ShareSoc meetings blog as there was zero interest on ADVFN at the time (see report below)

My shares came with EIS tax reliefs, so I will be hanging around for at least the next 2-3 years

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Crossword Cybersecurity Plc (NEX: CCS) 2018 AGM


This year’s Crossword Cybersecurity Plc (CCS) AGM was held at the offices of Shakespeare Martineau LLP, 6th Floor, 60 Gracechurch Street, London EC3V on Wednesday 30th May 2018 commencing at 3.00pm.

For investors who are unfamiliar with the company, CCS is a technology commercialisation company focusing exclusively on the cyber security sector, with the technology sourced through collaborations with Universities.

CCS was founded in March 2014 by the current CEO, Tom Ilube and then subsequently floated on the now defunct Danish GXG exchange in September 2014 at 145p/share which valued CCS at around £2.1m. The company transferred to the NEX exchange (then known as ISDX) in September 2015 (following the demise of the GXG earlier in the year). There was no fund raise to accompany the NEX IPO which is somewhat unusual, but the last fund raise on the GXG exchange had been at 190p/share in June 2015, valuing the company at around £4.5m. The most recent funding round was in March 2018 raising £2m in an oversubscribed placing and subscription at 270p/share and this corresponded to a post money valuation of approximately £10.8m. The shares are currently quoted at 330 – 400p.

Links to the company web site, the latest Annual Report and other useful information are given below:
* Web site:
* Annual report, financial year ending Dec 2017:
* Admission Document:
* Recent Interview with Tom Ilube (CEO):
* Recent Interview with Sir Richard Dearlove (Chairman):
* Recent interview with Prof. David Stupples (NED):

There were around 25 attendees at the meeting, which included a number of employee shareholders, the BOD and the usual AGM functionaries. I was the only retail shareholder present and as a result, I ended up asking most of the questions.

The Chairman, Sir Richard Dearlove, kicked off the meeting with the formal business. I just had one question for this part of the meeting which concerned resolutions 7 and 8 (allotment of shares and disapplication of pre-emption rights) where I asked what was the maximum number of shares (expressed as a percentage of the existing share capital) that could be issued if these resolutions were approved? The answer was 22%.

When it came to the voting, all 8 resolutions were passed unanimously with a show of hands. On the proxy votes, resolutions 1-6 (approval of the accounts, re-election of 4 directors and reappointment of auditors) received 100% in favour and resolution 7 and 8 received 84% in favour (16% against).

The CEO then gave a 30 minute presentation which included a brief synopsis of the previous financial year (ending Dec 2017) during which time the BOD was strengthened and a new sales force established. The headcount now includes 10 staff deployed in sales (based in the UK) and 8 in R&D (based in Poland). Group revenues doubled to £737K and 2018 has got off to a very strong start with most of the new revenue coming from Rizikon Assurance (a new B2B cybersecurity solution for medium to large enterprises) which is expected to be the main engine of growth over the next couple of years.

The presentation also included a brief outline of the company’s strategy which is to select the most promising cybersecurity technology solutions emanating from collaborating Universities and to monetize these technologies either through in-house development and subsequent product launch, or through JVs with the Universities. The company has collaborative agreements with 10 different Universities (8 UK, 1 Swiss, 1 USA) but there are no immediate plans to add more.

The main target market for resulting Cybersecurity products is medium to large Commercial Enterprises and CCS has just launched Rizikon, which is their first product arising from one of the University Collaborations. Rizikon enables a client company to monitor the cybersecurity risks and other risks such as GDPR compliance arising from their supplier base. The product is currently sold in two formats: Rizikon Standard (for SMEs) and Rizikon Assurance (for medium to large enterprises) and it is currently the only commercial software solution available which specifically addresses these particular problems.

Rizikon is supplied on a SaaS basis with a subscription charge of up to up to £30/supplier/annum for large businesses. There are an estimated 10,000 UK businesses with revenues of £25m or more and these businesses could each have between 1,000 and 5,000 suppliers, so the addressable UK market is conservatively estimated at around £300m. If Rizikon Assurance were to capture just 5% of the UK market, it could translate to revenues of circa £15m /year; furthermore, Rizikon should be suitable for roll out to many other major geographical markets, subject to making appropriate changes for each local market. The company is also actively looking at the possibility of signing on with a large partner to assist in distributing the product and this should lead to additional sales.

During the year CCS launched a major new initiative, CyberAI, which is looking at applying Artificial Intelligence to real world Cybersecurity problems. Three Universities and several large Financial Services firms are closely involved with the project and it is anticipated that the output from CyberAI will help feed the product pipeline for the next few years. The initial output comprised of a short list of initiatives which were subsequently whittled down to just one, this will be tested for Proof of Concept later this year and then hopefully undergo further development next year with the objective of ending up with a new innovative cybersecurity software product for SaaS commercialisation.

Following the presentation there was a Q&A session which lasted for 20 – 30 minutes before the meeting closed (see Q&A summary details below). After the meeting most of the attendees stayed around for coffee and biscuits and this gave me a chance to talk to some of the Senior management including the CFO and COO. I also spoke with Professor David Stupples (NED), who was responsible for the work leading up to the development of Rizikon and also the Sir Richard Dearlove (Chairman), who was the Head of MI6 from 1999 – 2004.


Q&As

Q: CCS appears to be a hybrid between a software developer deriving revenues from SaaS and an Investment company which owns equity stakes in university spinouts. As a general rule, the market tends to rate the former a lot higher than the latter, Is this reflected in your priorities?

A: Yes, we prefer to licence technology and develop it ourselves rather than take equity stakes in University spinouts, however, sometimes a University may insist on the latter. We aspire to have perhaps 6 Rizicon type products either launched, or in development in the next 3 – 4 years.

Q: You talked about taking on a large partner to assist Rizicon sales and eventually other SaaS products. What sort of companies are these large partners and can you expand on how such a partnership might work?

A: The partner could be an IT services company, or maybe one of the big four accountancy firms. One such potential partner we have spoken to is a US based IT Service Company, employing 200K staff worldwide and with a turnover of around $15Bn. Any large partner would probably want to see revenue potential of £30m – £40m before signing up. The industry norm would be to split revenues, with up to 75% going to the software developer (CCS in this case), but there would be no upfront fee payable on initiation of a partnership deal.

Q: Who are the nearest competitors and what barriers to entry are there for a new entrant in the future?

A: Rizikon is the only purpose built software in this space, the technology came from City University London and the algorithms were inspired by software used in the nuclear safety industry. The work performed to develop the software has not been published; therefore it would not be easy to reproduce. Parts of the SAP Ariba software solution are probably the closest thing there is to a competitor.

Q: Who do you target during the sales process for Rizikon?

A: Typically we talk to the Heads of Procurement, but on occasions it may be the Head of Security or Head of Quality Assurance.

Q: You talked briefly about a possible AIM IPO, this sounds like an excellent idea as it would assist liquidity as CCS shares are rarely traded on NEX and many popular online brokers will not deal in NEX shares, so what are the chances that an IPO will go ahead?

A: We are actively exploring the possibility for an AIM IPO for later this year. The likelihood of this occurring will depend on market conditions, which could be influenced by macro factors such as the outcome of Brexit negotiations.


Summary

When I acquired my CCS shares in the March 2018 placing, I knew very little about the company and there was very little time for due diligence after I was made aware of the placing opportunity, however, I do firmly believe that demand for effective cybersecurity is only ever likely to increase, as cyber criminals develop ever more innovative and sophisticated techniques to carry out their illegal activities. Furthermore, the placing shares were offered at an attractive 30% discount and they came with EIS tax reliefs, so despite my lack of background knowledge on the company, I took the decision to invest. Unfortunately (for me) the scale back on the placing shares was around 60% (presumably due to demand) so I ended up with somewhat less shares than I originally requested.

This AGM was the first opportunity I had to meet the management and to learn more about the business. The company is still at an early stage of development, it is loss making and the revenues are still small (albeit growing rapidly). However, the Management and Directors do appear very capable and the plans to grow the business seem realistic. I was pleased to learn about the intended AIM IPO later this year and assuming the switch to Aim is accompanied by another attractively priced (EIS qualifying) share placing, I will almost certainly apply for more shares in the IPO should the opportunity arise.


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[ny boy] 12/4/2019 18:36

a_game, there are a few of us quietly accumulating, but don’t tell everyone 😁

[a_game] 12/4/2019 09:35

Sp continuing north very nicely - new ATHs being set :)

And still - no one talking about Crossword!

[a_game] 04/4/2019 16:58

Added a further 1.5k shares here today. Will continue to accumulate - love how this one is flying well under the radar. Sssshhhh ;)

[sja123] 25/3/2019 15:28

Although this is eighteen months old, it's a fascinating interview with Tom Ilube explaining the background to Crossword and giving some insight into which technologies they are looking to exploit....worth a look I think...

[toffeeman] 22/3/2019 10:53

As long as it doesn't do a VRS fall!

[a_game] 22/3/2019 10:30

nail. on. head. Sja :)

accumulate whilst it's quiet here! Can see this doing a VRS style rise and the rest over the coming years.

[sja123] 22/3/2019 10:17

Just look at the quality of the board and advisory panel....any company with just one of these individuals involved would be worth investigating....they have five or six major players in the fields of defence, security and digital....

It's a small company at present but set up to be much bigger in time IMO...

The tiny free float makes it a buy and hold too....not one for the volatility of traders I would think...

[a_game] 22/3/2019 10:09

hiraniha - yes, awareness growing and with a really small free float (less than 15%) it moves very quickly on any demand.

[a_game] 22/3/2019 10:06

Gone vertical today! Still hugely under the radar. This is by far the best long term buy I can see. Happy to continue to add here even at +80% from my initial investment price. Can see this one running and running over the coming years.

[hiraniha] 22/3/2019 10:06

Anyone any idea why this has gone up a third in two weeks?

[someuwin] 22/3/2019 09:37

When Tom says 'big plans', gauging by the team he has assembled, he means REALLY BIG PLANS.

Tom Ilube, CEO of Crossword, commented "Crossword is exceptionally fortunate to be able to attract such a world class group of senior industry figures to our new Advisory Board. We have big plans for the future and being able to draw upon the guidance, advice and networks of our new advisors will be invaluable."



Tom Ilube CBE,CEO

Tom is founder and CEO of Crossword. He is also a Non Executive Director of the BBC and sits on Royal Bank of Scotland’s Technology Advisory Board. Tom was until recently Managing Director of Consumer Markets at Callcredit Information Group, the private equity backed UK credit reference agency sold to GTCR of Chicago in 2014. Whilst at Callcredit, Tom founded Noddle, a credit reporting service that eventually grew to four million users and was acquired by US-based Credit Karma in 2018. Prior to Callcredit, Tom founded and was CEO of Garlik, a venture capital-backed identity protection company, sold to Experian in 2011. Earlier, Tom served as Chief Information Officer of Egg Banking plc, which at the time was a pioneering main market listed UK internet bank. His earlier career included positions at Goldman Sachs, PwC, Cap Gemini and the London Stock Exchange.

Tom chaired the UK Government Technology Strategy Board’s Network Security Innovation panel. He was a member of the High Level Expert Group on Cyber security at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a Geneva based UN-agency. Tom is an Advisory Fellow at St Anne’s College, Oxford. He was awarded a Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa) by City, University of London, an Honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of Wolverhampton and was appointed a CBE in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to Technology and Philanthropy.

[sja123] 21/3/2019 15:28

Interesting company.....have made an initial investment...

[a_game] 21/3/2019 14:20

Shifting up a gear now - getting quoted 405 to buy. Still hugely under the radar!

[someuwin] 21/3/2019 12:52

Nope - can't buy any online.

[someuwin] 19/3/2019 12:04

Hybridan...

Crossword Cybersecurity has announced the appointment of a new Advisory Board made up of senior figures from academia, the corporate world and government. The new Advisory Board, chaired by former GlaxoSmithKline & NHS Chief Information Security Officer, Dr Robert Coles, will provide a range of unique perspectives on cyber security that will benefit Crossword clients and inform Crossword’s product development strategy.


The Advisory Board includes two of Crossword’s existing advisers General Nick Houghton, former Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces and Professor Nick Jennings, Vice-Provost at Imperial College London, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, and formerly UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security. The fourth member is Dr Una-May O’Reilly, a pre-eminent scientist in the fields of AI and Machine Learning who has already worked with Crossword on its Cyber AI Initiative through her role at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The Cyber AI initiative mentioned above brought together a Global Investment Bank, a major Retail Bank, a Multinational Insurance company and a Big Four Professional Services firm. We expect a product proposal to emerge later this year.

Crossword is enjoying early success with its supplier assurance platform Rizikon Assurance, and has this year announced contracts in the food manufacturing space (Kinnerton Confectionery) and in Engineering (Nuvia, whose specialist area is the nuclear industry). Both clients are part of significantly larger organisations with other entities that could stand to benefit from Crossword’s enterprise grade management interface for managing third party risk. Our FYDec19E revenue growth projection of 60% is underpinned by momentum in Rizikon Assurance and consultancy activities, but today’s announcement is a clear statement of intent regarding further product development.

Crossword enjoys unrivalled access to the most advanced research in cybersecurity that academia has to offer. As such Crossword is in a very strong position to expand its portfolio with innovative cutting-edge solutions that answer real-world problems. Nixer (machine learning based automated attack tool protection) is next in line. The growing customer base will provide a further sounding board for the direction of channel and a receptive audience to whom Crossword can showcase new products.

[a_game] 19/3/2019 07:52

Another incredible RNS.. never seen an AIM company with an advisory team of world class individuals.

[someuwin] 19/3/2019 07:27

RNS Number : 1851T
Crossword Cybersecurity PLC
19 March 2019

19 March 2019

Crossword Cybersecurity plc

Crossword Cybersecurity plc appoints former GlaxoSmithKline & NHS CISO, Dr Robert Coles, as Chair of its new Advisory Board

London, UK - March 19, 2019- Crossword Cybersecurity plc (AIM:CCS, "Crossword"), the cyber security technology commercialisation company, has today announced the appointment of a new Advisory Board made up of senior figures from academia, the corporate world and government. The new Advisory Board, chaired by former GlaxoSmithKline & NHS CISO, Dr Robert Coles, will provide a range of unique perspectives on cyber security that will benefit Crossword clients and inform Crossword's product development strategy.

Crossword's world class Advisory Board brings together:

-- Dr Robert Coles, Chair of Crossword's Advisory Board, former Chief Information Security Officer of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and of the NHS, with over 30 years commercial experience.

-- General Nick Houghton, Baron Houghton of Richmond, GCB, CBE, DL, former Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces.

-- Professor Nick Jennings, CB, FREng, Vice-Provost (Research and Enterprise) at Imperial College London, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, and formerly UK Government Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security.

-- Dr Una-May O'Reilly, Principal Research Scientist, leading research in scalable machine learning, evolutionary algorithms, and frameworks for large-scale knowledge mining, prediction and analytics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL), Boston, USA.

The Advisory Board will meet on a quarterly basis and as part of its responsibilities will:
-- Apply its knowledge and experience to current and future trends and threats in the cyber security landscape, as part of producing a client focused insight report.

-- Support ongoing assessment of research projects within universities and research centres worldwide, to assist Crossword in deciding where to build relationships and focus its resources and attention.

Tom Ilube, CEO of Crossword, commented "Crossword is exceptionally fortunate to be able to attract such a world class group of senior industry figures to our new Advisory Board. We have big plans for the future and being able to draw upon the guidance, advice and networks of our new advisors will be invaluable."

Prior to his time at the NHS, Dr Robert Coles worked for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from 2013 and was the company's Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Before GSK, Dr Coles served as CISO for the National Grid and Merrill Lynch. Dr Coles is an Honorary Professor at UCL and Visiting Professor at Royal Holloway, University of London and has extensive links with major industry information security networking groups and government security agencies.

General Sir Nick Houghton was Chief of the Defence Staff of the British Armed Forces, before retiring in 2016. Educated at Sandhurst and Oxford, General Houghton commanded 1st Battalion The Green Howards and an Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland. Following his retirement from the army, General Houghton, an existing adviser to Crossword, became the 160th Constable of the Tower of London and a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and joined the House of Lords in 2017 as a crossbench peer, becoming Baron Houghton of Richmond.

Professor Nick Jennings CB FREng worked for the UK Government as the Chief Scientific Advisor for National Security from 2010 to 2015. Currently, Professor Jennings is the Vice-Provost for Research and Enterprise, as well as a Professor in Artificial Intelligence, at Imperial College London. Prior to joining Imperial College, Professor Jennings was the Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton - the first holder of that title in the institution's history. Jennings is an internationally recognised authority in the areas of artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, agent-based computing and cyber security. Professor Jennings has been a Senior Adviser to Crossword since 2016.

Fellow academic, Dr Una-May O'Reilly joined the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, Boston, as a Post-Doctoral Associate in 1996. Dr O'Reilly is the Founder and Principal Research Scientist of the AnyScale Learning For All (ALFA) Group at MIT-CSAIL. ALFA conducts research projects in artificial adversarial intelligence related to cybersecurity, MOOC data analytics, and data-driven medical modeling. As well as her academic prowess, O'Reilly brings to the board her extensive international connections.

[a_game] 15/3/2019 17:32

Yep - such a tiny free float with this stock. Once people understand the sheer scale of what Tom & the team are building we'll be many multiples of this price imo. Will move very quickly given the free float.

[someuwin] 15/3/2019 16:16

Can't even buy £2k now.

[hiraniha] 07/3/2019 17:48

Taken a punt and bought some.Will be interested to see what the presenter says as the Mello London event in a few months.