Digital forensics firm Cyacomb has secured a funding package totalling £3.8m.
The Edinburgh-based business has developed safeguarding software – which is already being used by law enforcement agencies around the world – that is 100 times quicker than existing sifting tools on the market.
Cyacomb will use the support, that includes £2.6m from the Scottish National Investment Bank, to scale up its operations and explore new markets.
Chief executive Ian Stevenson said: “Our forensics products help law enforcement find evidence fast, speeding investigations and supporting prompt safeguarding actions for children and the wider community.
“We are now turning our attention up-stream too, tackling one of society’s most pressing issues – the rising levels of child sexual abuse material being shared in our increasingly encrypted online world.
“This funding comes at a strategic time for us as we expand our market reach and appoint a new non-executive director, 里奇·迈克布莱德.“
The founder of Edesix should bring experience in scaling software businesses, particularly servicing law enforcement and government clients.
Cyacomb’s forensic tools provide a rapid triage service for law enforcement agencies that allow them to make critical decisions quicker.
Dallas Police Department uses Cycacomb’s platform to detect illegal material shown in a recent case. On of its detectives, 迈克Fontenot, said: “Cyacomb’s products offer true potential to hasten investigation and assist police departments across the world in protecting children, holding predators accountable for their crimes.
“Cyacomb has managed to create software, that would have previously taken hours to complete, and condensed it to less than a minute – this was a real-world application of seized devices from an actual search warrant.”
简Reoch, executive director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, said: “Cyacomb’s software is delivering real, tangible benefits to society both in detecting harmful content, but also reducing trauma as officers no longer have to trawl through hours of offensive images – it’s all done quickly and efficiently with their software.”
The funding round also attracted follow-on investment from existing investors Scottish Enterprise, Par股本, the MacLeod Trust and Mercia Ventures.