Penten
Penten (operating as PentenAmio) builds advanced cryptography, AI-driven cyber deception, and electronic deception products for government and defence clients across Five Eyes and NATO-aligned countries. The combined firm employs ~300 staff across Australia and the UK and reports approximately £60 million in turnover.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersCanberra, Australia
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Penten does
Penten (now operating as PentenAmio following its November 2025 cross-border merger with UK-based Amiosec) is an Australian-founded cybersecurity company that builds advanced digital security solutions for government and defence clients. Founded in 2014 and headquartered in Canberra, the company develops three core product lines: the AltoCrypt secure mobility suite (AltoCrypt Stik, AltoCrypt Phone, AltoCrypt Hub, AltoGuard Relay, and AltoGuard pBox) which uses proprietary cryptography and compact electronics to enable mobile access to classified information; the CBG product family for AI Cyber Defence, comprising CBG Deception (AI-driven fake-network deployment to expose adversaries) and CBG Training (AI-generated hyper-realistic scenarios for cyber operator readiness); and TrapRadio for electronic deception, which applies AI-driven mission planning to distort enemy intelligence and create false targets at scale.
The company operates as a B2B enterprise technology provider, selling directly to defence ministries, military organisations, and government security agencies across Five Eyes and NATO-aligned countries. Revenue is generated through two streams: subscription-style recurring government and defence contracts for its secure mobility and AI cyber defence products, and professional services under its Innovation and Technical Services offering (rapid innovation, R&D, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning). The firm does not publicly disclose pricing and operates within government procurement frameworks. Following the 2025 merger with Amiosec and the April 2026 acquisition of UK-based Armour Communications, the combined entity employs approximately 300 people across Australia and the United Kingdom, with engineering and R&D in Tewkesbury, UK.
The business is backed by Five V Capital, which made a $50 million minority investment in August 2021 (subject to clearance from Australia's Department of Defence and government), and is led by Executive Co-Chair Matthew Wilson and Group CFO Dan Shakenovsky. The combined PentenAmio group reports approximately £60 million in turnover and positions itself as one of the largest global providers of secure classified mobile communications for government and military organisations, with explicit alignment to the AUKUS trilateral security partnership and rising sovereign cyber spending among allied nations.
Penten firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Penten
- Legal name
- PentenAmio
- Website
- https://penten.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Penten (operating as PentenAmio) builds advanced cryptography, AI-driven cyber deception, and electronic deception products for government and defence clients across Five Eyes and NATO-aligned countries. The combined firm employs ~300 staff across Australia and the UK and reports approximately £60 million in turnover.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Penten industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Defence Cybersecurity Solutions
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computer Systems Design Services (541512)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secure Communications, Cryptography & Key Management Systems (IMABAOAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Secure/Encrypted Messaging (BPAMACAG)
Keywords
Where Penten is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Canberra
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Penten business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Government and Defence Contracts: Revenue generated through contracts with government and defence clients for cybersecurity solutions, secure mobility, and AI-driven defence technologies across Five Eyes and NATO-aligned countries.
- Innovation and Technical Services: Full-service technology innovation providing bespoke solutions including rapid innovation, research and development, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning for defence organisations.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Penten product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Penten (now PentenAmio following its 2025 merger with UK-based Amiosec) develops and sells advanced digital security solutions for defence and government customers. Its portfolio spans the AltoCrypt suite (AltoCrypt Stik, Phone, Hub) and AltoGuard family (Relay, pBox) for secure mobile access to classified information, the CBG line (Deception and Training) for AI-powered cyber defence, and TrapRadio for AI-driven electronic deception. It also delivers bespoke Innovation and Technical Services covering rapid innovation, R&D, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning.
Product overview
PentenAmio operates as a unified platform-plus-modules architecture providing advanced digital security solutions for defence and government organisations. The core portfolio consists of three main product lines: the AltoCrypt suite (AltoCrypt Stik, AltoCrypt Phone, AltoCrypt Hub, AltoGuard Relay, AltoGuard pBox) for Secure Mobility offering advanced cryptography and compact electronics enabling mobile access to classified information; the CBG product line (CBG Deception, CBG Training) for AI Cyber Defence providing AI-powered deception to expose adversaries and hyper-realistic training scenarios; and TrapRadio for Electronic Deception using AI-driven mission planning to distort enemy intelligence and create false targets. The company also offers Innovation and Technical Services including rapid innovation, R&D, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning. In April 2026, PentenAmio acquired Armour Communications to further expand its secure communications capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AltoCrypt Stik Compact cryptographic device providing advanced cryptography and portable data protection, enabling on-the-go mobile access to classified information for government and defence users.
- AltoCrypt Phone Secure mobile communications device offering on-the-go access to classified information with advanced cryptographic protection for government and defence applications.
- AltoCrypt Hub Central hub for the AltoCrypt secure mobility ecosystem, providing advanced cryptography and compact electronics for secure data protection in mobile environments.
- AltoGuard Relay Enhanced protection component of the AltoGuard suite providing relay capabilities for secure mobile communications and protection of sensitive operations.
- AltoGuard pBox Protection box component of the AltoGuard suite offering enhanced security features for protecting sensitive operations and portable security solutions.
- CBG Deception AI-powered cyber deception solution that deploys fake networks to expose adversaries and detect threats faster, protecting infrastructure and securing operational advantage for defence and government organisations.
- CBG Training AI-driven cyber training solution that builds operator readiness through hyper-realistic, AI-generated real-world scenarios for defence and government organisations.
- TrapRadio AI-driven electronic deception system that distorts enemy intelligence, creates false targets, and protects high-value assets using AI-driven mission planning to deliver deception at scale.
- Armour Communications UK-based secure communications capability acquired by PentenAmio in April 2026 after eight years of partnership, formalising the combination of teams and expanding Secure Mobility offerings.
- Innovation and Technical Services Full-service technology innovation offering covering rapid innovation, research and development, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning to deliver bespoke solutions for defence and government organisations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Combined £60m turnover business created through merger
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Penten
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Penten technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Penten partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Armour CommunicationscorePentenAmio acquired Armour Communications, a company with which they had worked together for eight years. The acquisition formally brings both teams together to pursue collective opportunities across Secure Mobility.
- AmiosecflagshipPenten and UK-based Amiosec completed a landmark cross-border merger to form PentenAmio, creating a global leader in defence and government cybersecurity solutions. The combined entity serves defence and security clients across Five Eyes and NATO-aligned countries, focusing on secure classified mobile communications and AI-enabled defence for government and military organisations.
- Burges SalmonminorBurges Salmon legal firm facilitated the cross-border merger of UK cyber firm Amiosec Ltd with Australian defence specialist Penten Pty Ltd, working across 33 jurisdictions internationally.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Penten competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Anduril Industries: US-based defence technology company building AI-driven hardware and software for national security customers. Directly comparable to PentenAmio given its product-led approach to autonomous systems, electronic warfare, and AI-enabled defence for Five Eyes-adjacent governments.
- Darktrace: UK-based AI cyber defence company using machine learning for anomaly detection and autonomous response in enterprise and government environments. Closely mirrors PentenAmio's CBG Deception / AI Cyber Defence approach and shares UK defence and government customer overlap.
- Palantir Technologies: US software company providing AI-driven data analytics and decision-support platforms primarily to government, defence, and intelligence customers across Five Eyes. Comparable in serving the same regulated, AI-enabled defence buyer profile as PentenAmio.
- Becrypt: UK-based secure mobility and endpoint encryption specialist serving government and defence customers with managed secure devices and classified communications tools. Highly comparable to PentenAmio's AltoCrypt and AltoGuard secure mobility suite, particularly for UK MOD buyers.
Emerging players
- CounterCraft: European cyber deception technology firm offering adversary-trapping platforms to enterprise and government security teams. Direct competitor to PentenAmio's CBG Deception product line in the cyber-deception category.
Broad incumbents
- BAE Systems Digital Intelligence: UK-listed global defence prime operating a Digital Intelligence division delivering cyber, secure communications, and electronic warfare capabilities to allied governments. Competes with PentenAmio for sovereign cyber contracts but as part of a much broader portfolio.
- Thales Group: French-headquartered defence and digital security group with a dedicated secure communications and cybersecurity business serving defence ministries and NATO governments. Overlaps directly with PentenAmio in secure classified communications and allied government cyber markets.
- Leidos: US-listed defence, intelligence, and homeland security contractor with deep cyber and electronic warfare capabilities. Comparable in serving allied defence and government clients with secure communications and AI-enabled cyber solutions, but at much larger scale.
- RTX (Raytheon): US defence prime with a significant cyber operations portfolio serving US and allied governments, including electronic warfare, signals intelligence, and cyber defence. Adjacent competitor to PentenAmio through its broader portfolio rather than focused offering.
- CACI International: US defence IT and signals intelligence specialist serving intelligence and defence customers across Five Eyes with secure communications and cyber capabilities. Overlaps with PentenAmio's secure mobility and government cyber work but as one part of a broader services business.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Penten social profiles
Digital presencePenten financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Penten leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Penten subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Penten funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Penten M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Penten
What does Penten do?
Penten (now PentenAmio following its 2025 merger with UK-based Amiosec) develops and sells advanced digital security solutions for defence and government customers. Its portfolio spans the AltoCrypt suite (AltoCrypt Stik, Phone, Hub) and AltoGuard family (Relay, pBox) for secure mobile access to classified information, the CBG line (Deception and Training) for AI-powered cyber defence, and TrapRadio for AI-driven electronic deception. It also delivers bespoke Innovation and Technical Services covering rapid innovation, R&D, supply chain assurance, and capability horizon scanning.
Is Penten a public or private company?
Penten is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Penten founded?
Penten was founded in 2014. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Penten based?
Penten is headquartered in Canberra, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Penten make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government and Defence Contracts are the primary driver. The others are innovation and Technical Services.
Who are Penten's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Anduril Industries, Darktrace, Palantir Technologies and Becrypt. CounterCraft is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, Thales Group, Leidos, RTX (Raytheon) and CACI International.
Does Penten have an API?
No public API is recorded for Penten.
What industry is Penten in?
Penten's product category is Defence Cybersecurity Solutions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAOAK, Secure Communications, Cryptography & Key Management Systems, with a secondary code of BPAMACAG, Secure/Encrypted Messaging. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.