Sitehop raises £7.5m to protect you against Quantum attacks
At a glance
This article covers an additional funding round on 9 October 2025 for Sitehop, the Sheffield-based startup building UK sovereign encryption to future-proof networks against quantum-powered cyber attacks, founded by Melissa Chambers and Ben Harper. The round raised £7.5m led by Northern Gritstone with participation from Amadeus Capital Partners.
What does Sitehop do?
Sitehop's SAFEseries is a hardware encryption system that runs on specialised devices in network infrastructure. It protects network data by running encryption in devices to keep transfers fast and reduce energy use.
Why is Sitehop useful?
Problem
Organisations face rising cyberattacks and a growing threat from future quantum-powered attacks that could break current encryption. Software-based encryption also adds latency and energy use, slowing networks and creating performance bottlenecks for critical services.
Solution
Sitehop explains that it encrypts customer data in hardware to deliver quantum-resilient security with very low latency. This hardware approach cuts energy use to about a tenth and keeps high-speed networks running without performance impact.
How much did Sitehop raise?
Sitehop raised £7.5m in a funding round led by Northern Gritstone alongside Amadeus Capital Partners, bringing total funding to £13.5m. This makes it the 7th largest funding round in October 2025 (27 recorded). By size, the round comes in 186th for 2025 (499 recorded) in the Startupmag database, as of 9 October 2025.
For details on how Startupmag compiles its rankings, view our Methodology.
Who invested in Sitehop?
The key investors in the round were:
- Northern Gritstone: Invests in deeptech early-stage businesses in the North of England.
- Amadeus Capital Partners: A venture capital firm that invests in technology companies across the UK and Europe.
- Manta Ray: A venture investor that backs technology startups.
- Mercia Ventures: A UK venture capital investor that funds technology and innovation-driven companies.
- NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance: A Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund vehicle that provides equity finance to innovative companies in the North of England and is managed by Mercia.
In the funding announcement, Duncan Johnson from Northern Gritstone said:
Our focus is always on ‘profit with purpose’, helping to support visionary companies with strong intellectual property to grow out of the North of England. Sitehop is an example of the incredible deep tech innovation coming out of Sheffield’s innovation cluster, providing game-changing technology to support businesses in future-proofing their cybersecurity protection.
The investor added it is backing Melissa and Ben in cryptography.
If you're researching potential backers in this space:
- Explore our list of cyber security venture capital firms in the UK
- Browse our directory of cyber security angel investors in the UK
Who founded Sitehop?
The founders of Sitehop are Melissa Chambers and Ben Harper.
In the funding announcement, Melissa Chambers, Co-founder and CEO of Sitehop explained:
Sitehop is proving the critical need for future-proof encryption, demonstrated by our early customer traction globally. As a Sheffield-founded company, this investment from Northern Gritstone supports our mission to grow and scale in the region and build world-leading sovereign encryption capability right here in the UK – meaning we can accelerate international expansion while keeping the UK at the forefront of world-class cybersecurity innovation.
In the funding announcement, Ben Harper, Co-founder and CTO of Sitehop said:
Our mission has always been to deliver world-class security that is ultra-low latency, hardware-enforced, and resilient against future threats like quantum computing. Partnering with Northern Gritstone enables us to accelerate our mission while strengthening the UK’s sovereign capability in critical network security.
The company continued that Northern Gritstone's ‘profit with purpose’ ethos supports the creation of technology that drives global growth and delivers lasting social and economic value.
Where is Sitehop based?
Sitehop is based in Sheffield, UK.
What sector is Sitehop in?
Sitehop operates in the cyber security sector. The sector protects computers, networks and data from theft, damage and unauthorised access. It keeps services and personal information safe from hackers and malware.
Key trends and challenges in Cyber security:
Quantum risk to classical encryption
Quantum computers could break common encryption like RSA and ECC within years to decades.
This threatens long-term confidentiality of archives, financial records and critical systems.
For example, encrypted backups remain vulnerable if quantum arrives.
Encryption performance and energy demands
Software encryption can add latency and create network bottlenecks for telecoms and trading.
Hardware acceleration reduces latency and often uses far less energy in high-speed networks.
This matters for voice calls, financial trading, and real-time control systems.
Sovereign control and supply chain risk
Countries and utilities want control over cryptographic tools and hardware sources.
Dependence on external vendors raises security and resilience concerns during crises.
For example, national regulators increasingly require demonstrable supply chain assurance.
For a deeper look at innovation in this space, see the cyber security startups in the UK.
They've invested in Sitehop
Get to know these cyber security investors
| Investor | Sector | Stage | Activity | Team | Connect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Northern Gritstone | 14 investment(s) investment(s) | 1 contact contact | |||
 Amadeus Capital Partners | 12 investment(s) investment(s) | 11 contacts contacts | |||
 Manta Ray Ventures (Manta Ray) | 1 investment(s) investment(s) | 2 contacts contacts | |||
 Mercia (Mercia Ventures) | 80 investment(s) investment(s) | 14 contacts contacts | |||
Mercia (NPIF – Mercia Equity Finance) | 80 investment(s) investment(s) | 14 contacts contacts |
Click here for a full list of 7,233+ startup investors in the UK