WorkNest

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.

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

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

• Cybersecurity services
• Penetration testing
• Employment law advisory
• Compliance consulting
• Managed security operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Security Operations and Compliance Services: Managed SIEM, cyber incident response, digital forensics, SOC 2 compliance, ISO 27001 compliance, GDPR services, and outsourced DPO services.
3. Security Awareness Training: Employee cybersecurity training programs to help organizations meet regulations and build cyber resilience.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pentest PeoplecoreOthers · 1 September 2024WorkNest 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 SolutionsminorOthers · 1 June 2022WorkNest (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 GRCcoreOthersWorkNest 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/WorkNestGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/worknestgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/WorkNestGroup

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A5 records

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WorkNest