A former British Army intelligence officer has raised £1 million for his platform, which helps identify security risks in countries around the world using reports from local people.
Founded by Michael McCabe, Crowd Threat collects information from people on the ground to track security threats worldwide. The platform provides regular updates on incidents such as armed conflicts, terrorist attacks, public protests and criminal activities.
Demand for threat intelligence is growing as geopolitical risks increase around the world. Governments, security companies and businesses want better information to protect their overseas operations and supply chains.
Crowd Threat offers a different approach to traditional intelligence services, which usually depend on teams of analysts monitoring news websites, social media and other online sources. Instead, the platform works with local contributors in different countries, many of whom have experience in security or intelligence. These contributors receive payments for reporting incidents.
Each report is first given a rating based on the contributor’s reliability. The information is then checked using AI technology and human reviewers to make sure it is accurate.
This approach helps reduce costs while collecting information directly from local sources. It also allows the platform to identify potential security threats earlier.
According to Michael McCabe, CEO, while working in Iraq, the security professionals would share information in an online forum. “If an explosive device went off in the morning, by the end of the day we would know all the background. I came away thinking, why can’t we tap into local networks around the world? Technology now allows us to threats on a global scale. Using local people who understand the language and culture means we can report incidents more quickly and identify threats Western analysts may miss.”
Laurence Tan, Senior Investment Associate, PXN Ventures, said: “In today’s rapidly changing world, we’re seeing more businesses developing technology to help combat or raise awareness of growing geopolitical risks. Crowd Threat is doing exactly this, bringing new thinking to the threat intelligence conversation and aligning with the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, which highlights defence as a key area. We’re proud to be backing Michael and the team with NPIF II funding to help scale this very timely innovation.”
The funding will help the company improve its platform and expand its coverage to more countries around the world.
