Cognisys Leeds Expands to Australia with 120 Staff in 12 Countries

Cognisys Leeds expands into Australia after 254% year-on-year growth, with the cyber security consultancy growing from four employees in Halifax to 120 staff across 12 countries in six years

Leeds-headquartered cyber security consultancy Cognisys Leeds has expanded into Australia as part of a rapid international growth trajectory that has taken the company from four employees to 120 in six years. Founded in Halifax in 2019 and headquartered in Leeds since 2022, Cognisys reported 254% year-on-year revenue growth as of December 2025 and now has staff in 12 countries including the UK, USA, India, South Africa, Ireland, UAE, and Panama. The Australian expansion follows a six-figure deal with a global property group based in the region, and comes as the Asia-Pacific cyber security market emerges as the fastest-growing in the sector.

Why This Matters For Leeds

A company growing from four people in Halifax to 120 across 12 countries in six years, with 254% revenue growth, demonstrates what’s possible from a Leeds base in a sector worth over $250 billion globally. For the city’s professional services ecosystem, Cognisys’s compliance work is increasingly essential: startups need these frameworks to win enterprise contracts.

How Cognisys Leeds Grew So Fast

The growth story is striking. Cognisys started with four employees in January 2019. By the end of 2024 it had 50. By May 2026 it has 120 specialists across governance, risk and compliance consultancy, penetration testing, managed detection and response, and vulnerability management. Founder and CEO Steve Spence said the need for cyber security and data compliance gets more rigorous every year. He pointed to startups needing certifications like ISO 27001 simply to get in the room with larger clients. The company’s core work is helping organisations become regulator-ready a service that scales internationally because compliance frameworks are increasingly global in scope.

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“At Cognisys we’ve established a name for dependable and accessible governance, risk and compliance consultancy, and I’m proud to see the company grow from a tiny office in Halifax to a business operating in 12 countries and about as many time zones as you can imagine.”

— Steve Spence, Founder and CEO, Cognisys

Leeds’ Cyber Security Cluster Keeps Growing

The Australian move is driven by rising demand for compliance frameworks across the Asia-Pacific region, which is the fastest-growing cyber security market globally. Cognisys Leeds has already secured a six-figure deal with an Australia-based global property group to deliver a multi-framework security and compliance programme. The company joins a growing list of Leeds-based cyber security firms making an impact nationally and internationally. AppCheck, which secured LDC private equity backing this month, provides vulnerability testing to JD Sports and Dr. Martens. Boxphish featured in the Northern Tech Awards Top 100. Precursor Technology Group secured NPIF II funding for its AI-powered threat intelligence platform. The global cyber security market is valued at more than $250 billion and projected to nearly double within the next decade. Leeds companies are positioning themselves to capture a meaningful share of that growth.