Liverpool tech startup TOM secures £350k investment

A Merseyside-based startup that has developed a way to protect Wi-Fi networks and devices against cyber attacks has landed a £350k investment boost from The North West Fund for Venture Capital.

Liverpool firm Traffic Observation via Management Ltd (TOM) will use the six-figure funding to bring its tech to market.

Founded by the University of Liverpool’s Prof. Alan Marshall and based on the results of more than 10 years’ research at Queen’s University in Belfast, the company’s core product, SpriteGuard, is designed to safeguard businesses’ Wi-Fi networks and Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as handsets and PoS (point of sale) terminals.

Prof. Marshall, who heads up the university’s Department for Electrical Engineering & Electronics, said: “Wi-Fi has now become ubiquitous, and is used in almost every aspect of our daily lives.

“Consequently ensuring the security of these networks and maintaining privacy for the clients that use them has become a key issue, particularly for public and open networks, where the challenge is to balance security against the convenience offered by Wi-Fi internet access.”

Forming part of the £155m North West Fund, the North West Fund for Venture Capital is managed by Enterprise Ventures, a lender with offices across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside and Yorkshire.

Doug Stellman, an investment director at Enterprise Ventures, commented: “TOM’s technology offers a proven and low-cost way for Wi-Fi providers such as hotels, banks and retailers to monitor and safeguard their networks.

“The company has already attracted interest from Wi-Fi equipment suppliers as well as companies that install and manage Wi-Fi systems for other companies, or which provide free Wi-Fi to customers directly.”

He continued: “The funding will enable TOM to bring its SpriteGuard product range to market, develop pilot projects in all the key industry sectors, establish partnerships with Wi-Fi providers and licensees and attract further rounds of funding.”

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