Specialists from MI5 and GCHQ teamed up with academics and former employees of software giant Autonomy to found this Cambridge company in 2013. It detects and counters cybersecurity threats by using machine learning and advanced maths to identify unusual patterns in digital behaviour that could indicate a malicious attack. It was valued at $1.65bn when it raised $50m in 2018 from investors including KKR and Vitruvian Partners, taking total funds raised to £134m. It is reported to be considering an IPO, which could value it in excess of £1.5bn. Customers such as the NHS, Rolls-Royce and Samsung helped sales reach £158m this year. Darktrace is led by co-founder and chief executive Poppy Gustafsson, 38.