mthree buys CAPSLOCK to boost cyber skills training

mthree has acquired cybersecurity education provider CAPSLOCK.

The deal brings CAPSLOCK fully into the mthree group after the two companies had already been working together through a joint venture.

The acquisition expands mthree's work with employers building teams in cybersecurity, AI and digital resilience. Demand is rising from clients in finance, technology and the public sector as cyber risk and AI governance become workforce issues as well as technical ones.

Skills demand

Government figures underline that pressure. The latest UK government Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 43% of businesses reported a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months, while separate research showed that 65% of cybersecurity businesses expect their need for AI skills to increase over the next year.

Founded in 2019, CAPSLOCK focuses on retraining adults for cybersecurity roles. It says it has reskilled more than 1,200 adults into cyber careers and has worked with organisations in financial services, telecommunications, aerospace and defence, consumer electronics, manufacturing, and media and broadcasting.

CAPSLOCK learners have gone on to roles at employers including Barclays, BT, BAE Systems, Dyson and the BBC. Bringing the business fully in-house gives mthree direct access to that training model as it expands its offering to clients.

The transaction comes shortly after mthree's merger with Peregrine, a business change and technology consultancy. That deal broadened mthree's reach in workforce services, and the CAPSLOCK acquisition adds a specialist cyber training business to the group.

Workforce focus

The combined business is expected to use CAPSLOCK's training approach across mthree's upskilling, hire-train-deploy and expert staffing programmes. The aim is to help employers build cyber and AI skills by hiring new entrants and retraining existing staff.

Alex Headley, Chief Executive Officer of mthree, linked the deal to wider labour market constraints, saying employers cannot depend only on experienced hires when the pool of specialists is limited and the skills required are changing quickly.

"Cybersecurity and AI are now workforce issues as much as they are technology issues. Employers in tech, banking and the public sector cannot rely only on hiring experienced specialists from a limited pool, particularly when the skills they need are changing so quickly.

"CAPSLOCK brings deep cyber expertise, a proven training model and a clear focus on job outcomes. We already know the strength of that approach through our joint venture, and this acquisition allows us to scale it further for clients that need practical cyber and AI capability across their teams," said Alex Headley, Chief Executive Officer, mthree.

Platform growth

For CAPSLOCK, the deal marks a shift from operating as a specialist education provider with an external partner to becoming part of a larger talent and reskilling group. Its leadership said that should widen access for both learners and employers.

"CAPSLOCK was founded to remove barriers to cybersecurity careers and help employers access talent with the skills to make an impact.

"Joining mthree gives us the platform to take that mission further, supporting more learners and more organisations as cyber and AI risks become more complex," said Lorna Armitage MBE, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, CAPSLOCK.

CAPSLOCK's founders said the company has focused on practical training tied to employment outcomes rather than general education alone. That approach has appealed to employers seeking workers who can move into operational roles more quickly.

Career pathways

"Our focus has always been on delivering practical, industry-relevant training that leads to real career outcomes.

"Becoming part of mthree allows us to build on that work and help more employers develop the cyber capability they need, whether through new talent pipelines or reskilling existing teams," said Dr Andrea Cullen MBE, Co-Founder, CAPSLOCK.