What Cognisys Group does

Cognisys Group Ltd is a UK-based cybersecurity and compliance consultancy founded in 2019 in Halifax and now headquartered in Leeds. The company delivers security compliance certification, CREST-accredited penetration testing, and continuous vulnerability management services to organizations ranging from early-stage startups to large enterprises, and reports operating across 12 countries as of May 2026.

The service portfolio spans more than a dozen frameworks including ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC 2, DORA, EU AI Act, NIS2, NIST CSF 2.0, CMMC, Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, FedRAMP, and GDPR. Penetration testing covers Red Team Assessments, Black/Grey/White Box testing, web application, API, and AI/LLM pen testing delivered by CREST-accredited consultants. Cognisys operates as Vanta's #1 global service partner for AI compliance, leveraging Vanta's platform across 375+ integration points for automated evidence collection. Proprietary methodologies include the Digital Trust Accelerator (DTA), which compresses ISO 27001 certification to 6 weeks, the Zero2Hero program for organizations without pre-existing controls, and the Vanta Implementation service.

The business model combines project-based professional services with subscription recurring revenue via Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS) and multi-year DTA contracts. Pricing is quote-based: Red Team engagements range from $20,000 to $72,000 depending on scope, and DTA programs operate on multi-year contracts following free scoping calls. The customer mix spans startups (BidFix, InParallel, CrypDefi), mid-market (Tiller, Gripple), and enterprise (Lincolnshire Housing Partnership, LGC Group) across financial services, healthcare, social housing, manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. Go-to-market is sales-led with direct enterprise and inside sales motions, supported by content marketing, case studies, and event presence. Headcount grew from 4 to 120 employees and the company reported 254% year-on-year revenue growth as of December 2025, with funding to date limited to a six-figure debt facility from NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance in March 2023.

Name

Cognisys Group

Legal name

Cognisys Group Ltd

Website

https://cognisys.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cognisys Group is a UK-based cybersecurity and compliance consultancy serving startups through enterprises across 12 countries. It delivers CREST-accredited penetration testing, Vanta-powered compliance certification (ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC 2, EU AI Act), and continuous vulnerability management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Compliance Consulting

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621), Security Systems Services (56162)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Privacy, Data Protection & Cyber Governance (GRC) (BPAHAFAF), Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Advisory & Assessments (BPAKAHAH), Security Awareness, Training & Compliance Attestation (HDADAIAJ)

Keywords

• Penetration testing services
• Security compliance consulting
• ISO 27001 certification
• Vulnerability management services
• Cybersecurity advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeds

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Security Compliance Consulting: Professional services for security compliance certification including ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC 2, and other frameworks. Delivered through consulting engagements and automated platform implementation.
2. Penetration Testing Services: Manual security testing services including red team assessments, API penetration testing, and vulnerability management. Delivered as project-based engagements.
3. Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS): Continuous vulnerability monitoring and management services for organizations requiring ongoing security posture management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cognisys Group provides cybersecurity consulting and compliance certification services, including CREST-accredited penetration testing (Red Team, Black Box, Grey Box, White Box, Web Application, API, AI/LLM), vulnerability management as a service (VMaaS), vCISO advisory, and security compliance certification consulting across frameworks including ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA, EU AI Act, NIS2, NIST CSF 2.0, CMMC, Cyber Essentials, and FedRAMP. Service delivery is accelerated through the proprietary Digital Trust Accelerator (DTA) program compressing certification timelines to 6-12 weeks via Vanta platform automation.

Product overview

Cognisys Group is a cybersecurity and compliance consultancy offering a unified portfolio of security testing, compliance certification, and managed security services. The core offering spans Penetration Testing (Red Team, API, Web Application, AI/LLM), Security Compliance (ISO 27001, SOC 2, GDPR, DORA, EU AI Act, NIS2, NIST CSF, CMMC, Cyber Essentials, FedRAMP, ISO 42001), and Vulnerability Management (VMaaS, vCISO). Service delivery is accelerated through proprietary programs including Digital Trust Accelerator (DTA) and Zero2Hero, powered by Vanta compliance automation platform integration. The company serves organizations from startup through enterprise, providing both technical validation (pen testing, vulnerability scanning) and governance certification (compliance frameworks) as an integrated security and compliance capability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Security Compliance Services
• Penetration Testing
• Vulnerability Management
• Red Team Assessment
• API Penetration Testing
• Web Application Pen Testing
• AI & LLM Pen Testing
• Vulnerability Management as a Service (VMaaS)
• vCISO Services
• Digital Trust Accelerator (DTA)
• Zero2Hero
• Vanta Implementation

Quantifiable outcome

• 254% year-on-year growth as of December 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• VantacoreTechnology or IntegrationVanta partnership enables automated evidence collection across 375+ integration points for ISO 42001 and ISO 27001 certifications. Cognisys is Vanta's #1 global service partner for AI compliance, leveraging Vanta's platform to deliver accelerated certification timelines of 12 weeks with 100% pass rate.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Drata: Automated compliance platform (SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, etc.) competing with Vanta; adjacent to Cognisys' model as both an alternative platform partner and a potential threat as it builds out its own partner/services network.

Broad incumbents

• WithSecure (formerly F-Secure): European cybersecurity provider with a meaningful consulting and managed detection arm; competes with Cognisys on pen testing and security advisory, but operates at much greater scale with proprietary endpoint products.
• NCC Group: Long-standing UK-listed cybersecurity services and software firm with large-scale penetration testing, red team, and cyber consulting divisions; comparable in core services but much larger and more diversified than Cognisys.
• BSI (British Standards Institution): Global standards body and certification/audit firm offering ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and cybersecurity assurance services; competes with Cognisys for the same compliance-driven buyer wallet, particularly with large enterprises.

Direct peers

• Schellman & Co: US-based compliance and cybersecurity assessment firm providing ISO 27001, SOC 2, FedRAMP, PCI and pen testing services to similar enterprise and growth-stage client segments as Cognisys.
• BARR Advisory: US-based cybersecurity and compliance services firm focused on SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, FedRAMP and pen testing for SaaS and technology clients; comparable in service breadth and customer segment overlap.
• Secarma: UK-based penetration testing and cybersecurity consultancy (CREST-accredited) competing directly with Cognisys in offensive security and compliance work across mid-market and enterprise clients.
• Bridewell: UK-headquartered cybersecurity consultancy offering managed security, penetration testing, and compliance services (ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIS2, etc.) to enterprise and regulated clients — the closest UK-headquartered peer by service mix and customer profile.
• A-LIGN: US-based cybersecurity compliance and audit firm delivering ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, HITRUST and pen testing as a managed service; highly comparable in platform-augmented GRC delivery model.

Others

• Vanta: GRC automation platform and Cognisys' core technology partner; relevant as an ecosystem peer and potential long-term competitor if Vanta expands its professional services layer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cognisysgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cognisysgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/cognisysgroup

Compliance15 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cognisys Group