Crowd Threat, a platform that identifies security risks in countries worldwide using reports from local people, has raised £1 million from Mercia Ventures and PXN Ventures. The money comes via the North East Accelerate Fund, which Mercia Ventures manages, and NPIF II - PXN Equity Finance, which PXN Ventures manages as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II. The funding will be used to further develop the product and expand its global coverage.
Crowd Threat provides up-to-date reports on incidents ranging from armed conflicts and terrorist attacks to social unrest and criminality. It offers an alternative to the traditional intelligence model, which relies on teams of desk-based analysts who monitor media and data feeds remotely. Instead, Crowd Threat uses a network of local contributors within each country, typically security or intelligence professionals, who are paid for each incident they report. Reports are first given a rating based on the contributor's trust level, then verified with the help of AI and human reviewers. The model is designed to capture threats closer to the source and identify emerging risks at an earlier stage. Increased geopolitical risk is driving demand for threat intelligence from governments and security providers, as well as from corporates looking to safeguard their overseas operations and supply chains.
The Newcastle-based business developed the platform with geordie tech company Wubbleyou, and it went live in June this year. Its 200-plus contributors are based in 17 countries across six continents and report on incidents worldwide.
Michael McCabe, a former British Army intelligence operator, set up Crowd Threat in 2025. He spent more than two decades working in intelligence with the British military and private security companies in Iraq, and is also the founder of Intelligence Fusion, a software-enabled intelligence provider that Sigma7 acquired in 2022. McCabe aims to expand coverage, particularly in Africa, South America and Asia, and ultimately have up to 10,000 contributors. The funding will also enable him to create seven new jobs and work on a second product that could identify community tensions and provide early warning of riots and outbreaks of violence.
While working in Iraq, the security professionals would share information in an online forum. If an explosive device went off in the morning, by the end of the day we would know all the background. I came away thinking, why can’t we tap into local networks around the world? “Technology now allows us to crowd source threats on a global scale. Using local people who understand the language and culture means we can report incidents more quickly and identify threats Western analysts may miss.
Demand for threat intelligence is growing. Crowd Threat’s innovative crowdsourced model offers an alternative approach to intelligence gathering, designed to improve the speed and quality of intelligence. This funding will enable Michael and the team to expand the platform’s geographical reach and accelerate customer acquisition.
In today’s rapidly changing world, we’re seeing more businesses developing technology to help combat or raise awareness of growing geopolitical risks. Crowd Threat is doing exactly this, bringing new thinking to the threat intelligence conversation and aligning with the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy, which highlights defence as a key area. We’re proud to be backing Michael and the team with NPIF II funding to help scale this very timely innovation.
