Crowd Threat, a Newcastle-based security risk identification technology founded by former Army intelligence operator Michael McCabe, has secured £1m investment to support its expansion and create new jobs.
McCabe spent more than two decades working with the British military and in private security companies in Iraq. He previously founded Intelligence Fusion, a software-enabled intelligence provider acquired by Sigma7 in 2022.
How Crowd Threat Works
Crowd Threat provides up-to-date reports on incidents including armed conflicts, social unrest, terrorist attacks and criminality. The Pilgrim Street-based firm has received backing from the North East Accelerate Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures, and NPIF II - PXN Equity Finance, managed by PXN Ventures as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
The company offers an alternative to the traditional intelligence model, which relies on teams of desk-based analysts who monitor media, social media and other data remotely. Instead, it uses a network of local contributors in each country - typically security or intelligence professionals who are paid for each incident reported.
Expansion Plans and Job Creation
Crowd Threat was conceived in 2025 and launched earlier this year, with Newcastle tech firm Wubbleyou having built the tool. It has more than 200 contributors based in 17 countries across six continents, reporting on incidents worldwide.
McCabe aims to expand its coverage, particularly in Africa, South America and Asia, with the goal of having up to 10,000 contributors. Funding from the North East Accelerate Fund will help create seven new jobs and progress work on a second product that could help identify community tensions and provide early warning of riots and violence.
Investor Support
McCabe said: “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 crowd source 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.”
Owen Conquest of Mercia Ventures added: "Demand for threat intelligence is growing. Crowd Threat’s innovative crowdsourced model offers an alternative approach to intelligence gathering, designed to improve the speed and quality of intelligence. This funding will enable Michael and the team to expand the platform’s geographical reach and accelerate customer acquisition."
Laurence Tan, senior investment associate at 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.”
