WorkNest
WorkNest is a UK-based provider of outsourced employment law, HR, health and safety, and cybersecurity services, serving SMEs and mid-market organisations across the UK and US as a subsidiary of Marlowe plc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersChester, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What WorkNest does
WorkNest is a UK-headquartered provider of outsourced employment law, HR, health and safety, and cybersecurity services, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AIM-listed Marlowe plc within the wider Axiom GRC group of more than 15 specialist organisations. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chester, the company runs two principal divisions: WorkNest People, which delivers employment law, HR advisory, and health and safety consultancy, and WorkNest Secure, which offers cybersecurity and compliance services. The group employs more than 500 colleagues across offices in Chester, Glasgow, Manchester, Warrington, Leeds, and Stevenage, with a regional headquarters in the United States.
WorkNest Secure's product portfolio spans penetration testing (network, web application, API, mobile, cloud, wireless, enterprise), advanced offensive security (red teaming, social engineering), a fully in-house 24/7 Security Operations Center with managed SIEM, cyber incident response and digital forensics, compliance services (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, outsourced DPO), and security awareness training. The proprietary GuardNest platform, re-engineered and relaunched in October 2025, integrates assessments, vulnerability scanning, real-time threat intelligence, and remediation workflows into a single client interface and replaces the prior SecurePortal. CREST accreditations across penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, application testing, incident response, and red teaming, alongside ISO 27001, ISO 9001, Cyber Essentials, and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications, support the credibility required for regulated engagements.
WorkNest operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market targeting SMEs and mid-market organisations in the UK and US, with quote-based custom pricing and multi-year managed services contracts. Revenue is generated through professional services engagements (penetration testing, compliance projects, training) and recurring managed services (managed SIEM, ongoing compliance, outsourced DPO). Turnover is stated at approximately £52m, and the business has expanded aggressively through acquisition, including HR Solutions (June 2022, £6.1m), Pentest People (September 2024), and Wirehouse Employer Services (October 2024), with earlier bolt-ons of ESPHR, Youmanage, and HRSP in March 2021.
WorkNest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- WorkNest
- Legal name
- Axiom WorkNest
- Website
- https://worknest.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- WorkNest is a UK-based provider of outsourced employment law, HR, health and safety, and cybersecurity services, serving SMEs and mid-market organisations across the UK and US as a subsidiary of Marlowe plc.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
WorkNest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cybersecurity and Compliance Services
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Security Systems Services (56162)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting (BPAHAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH), Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB)
Keywords
Where WorkNest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chester
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices7 records
Markets served
WorkNest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Penetration Testing Services: Expert-led penetration testing services for networks, web applications, APIs, mobile apps, cloud infrastructure, wireless networks, and enterprise environments. Includes continuous vulnerability scanning.
- Security Operations and Compliance Services: Managed SIEM, cyber incident response, digital forensics, SOC 2 compliance, ISO 27001 compliance, GDPR services, and outsourced DPO services.
- Security Awareness Training: Employee cybersecurity training programs to help organizations meet regulations and build cyber resilience.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing based on scope and requirements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
WorkNest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
WorkNest delivers outsourced employment law, HR, and health and safety advisory services (WorkNest People division) alongside expert-led cybersecurity and compliance services (WorkNest Secure division). Cybersecurity offerings include penetration testing, advanced offensive security testing, managed security operations with a 24/7 in-house SOC, regulatory compliance support (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), and security awareness training, all unified around the proprietary GuardNest platform.
Product overview
WorkNest is a comprehensive risk and compliance solutions provider offering both HR/employment law services (WorkNest People) and cybersecurity services (WorkNest Secure). The cybersecurity portfolio is built around a platform-plus-services model, centered on the GuardNest proprietary platform for security management and vulnerability remediation. Core services include penetration testing (network, web app, API, mobile app), advanced security testing (cloud, wireless, enterprise, red team, social engineering), 24/7 Security Operations Center with managed SIEM and incident response, compliance services (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), and security awareness training. The GuardNest platform serves as the central hub integrating assessments, vulnerability management, and remediation workflows with continuous monitoring capabilities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- GuardNest: A cybersecurity platform for security management, vulnerability assessment, and remediation tracking, replacing the predecessor SecurePortal.
- Bulletproof
Products and services
- Penetration Testing
Quantifiable outcome
- Six-month retest included with every penetration testing engagement to validate remediation efforts
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use WorkNest
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
WorkNest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
WorkNest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pentest PeoplecoreWorkNest Group acquired Pentest People in September 2024, strengthening their cybersecurity capabilities. The acquisition enabled the launch of GuardNest, a re-engineered cybersecurity platform replacing the predecessor SecurePortal, with enhanced usability and UX features.
- HR SolutionsminorWorkNest (as subsidiary of Marlowe plc) acquired HR Solutions, a UK-based HR and Health & Safety consultancy, for £6.1 million. This acquisition was aimed at deepening Marlowe's HR & Health & Safety services.
- Axiom GRCcoreWorkNest is part of Axiom GRC, supporting organisations to look after their people and protect what matters most. Axiom GRC is the parent organization bringing together expertise in people management, employment law, health and safety, cyber resilience, compliance, and specialist consultancy services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
WorkNest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- NCC Group: UK-headquartered global cybersecurity services firm offering penetration testing, managed detection and response, and compliance advisory — directly comparable to WorkNest Secure across pen testing and managed SIEM but operating at significantly larger scale.
- WithSecure: Nordic-headquartered cybersecurity firm offering managed detection and response, penetration testing, and compliance services — overlaps with WorkNest Secure's managed SIEM and offensive security portfolio, but at significantly greater scale.
- Trustwave: Global cybersecurity services provider offering managed security services, penetration testing, incident response, and compliance — comparable to WorkNest Secure across SOC, IR, and compliance with a much larger international footprint.
- Kroll Cyber Risk: Investigations, risk, and cybersecurity division of Kroll providing incident response, digital forensics, penetration testing, and managed detection — directly overlaps with WorkNest Secure's IR/forensics and pen testing services.
- Mandiant (Google Cloud): Global leader in incident response, threat intelligence, and security consulting — directly comparable to WorkNest Secure's incident response, digital forensics, and red team operations, though operating at substantially larger scale.
Direct peers
- Bridewell Consulting: UK-based cybersecurity consultancy providing penetration testing, managed security services, and compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001) advisory to mid-market and enterprise clients — a close head-to-head competitor in WorkNest's core UK cyber services space.
- Secarma: UK-based penetration testing and cybersecurity consultancy serving mid-market and enterprise — a close UK peer to WorkNest Secure's offensive security and managed detection offering.
- Cyberis: UK-based cybersecurity consultancy specializing in penetration testing, red team, and managed security services — directly comparable in scope and target customer to WorkNest Secure.
- Citation (Citation ISO): UK provider of HR, employment law, health and safety, and ISO consultancy services — closely comparable to WorkNest People and an adjacent competitor for ISO 27001 compliance services that compete with WorkNest Secure.
- Pen Test Partners: UK-based penetration testing firm specializing in CREST-accredited security testing across web, network, cloud, and IoT — directly comparable to WorkNest Secure's pen testing portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
WorkNest social profiles
Digital presenceWorkNest compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance14 records
WorkNest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
WorkNest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
WorkNest subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
WorkNest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
WorkNest M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A5 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about WorkNest
What does WorkNest do?
WorkNest delivers outsourced employment law, HR, and health and safety advisory services (WorkNest People division) alongside expert-led cybersecurity and compliance services (WorkNest Secure division). Cybersecurity offerings include penetration testing, advanced offensive security testing, managed security operations with a 24/7 in-house SOC, regulatory compliance support (SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR), and security awareness training, all unified around the proprietary GuardNest platform.
Is WorkNest a public or private company?
WorkNest is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was WorkNest founded?
WorkNest was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is WorkNest based?
WorkNest is headquartered in Chester, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does WorkNest make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Penetration Testing Services are the primary driver. The others are security Operations and Compliance Services and security Awareness Training.
Who are WorkNest's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are NCC Group, WithSecure, Trustwave, Kroll Cyber Risk and Mandiant (Google Cloud). Direct peers are Bridewell Consulting, Secarma, Cyberis, Citation (Citation ISO) and Pen Test Partners.
Does WorkNest have an API?
No public API is recorded for WorkNest.
What industry is WorkNest in?
WorkNest's product category is Cybersecurity and Compliance Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAEAG, Cybersecurity & Identity Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAEANAF, Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7370.