Security vendors Zecurion and Modulo will be given a leg-up into the UK channel after winning a competition designed to address the drought in new market entrants.

IT recruitment firm Acumin launched its Critical Security Solutions initiative last Autumn after claiming the lack of security tech firms launching in the UK was stifling innovation.

It sent out invitations to 75 firms, many of whom were based in the US.

Endpoint security vendor Zecurion and governance, risk and compliance management specialist Modulo have now been unveiled as the winners. Entries were judged by a panel of 10 security experts.

They will be given advice on defining a UK market entry plan, help with sales and marketing and introductions to appropriate resellers. They will also receive free sponsorship of the Risk and Network Threat (Rant) forum, an end user security forum organised by Acumin.

Chris Batten, managing director of Acumin, said: “Both vendors were able to demonstrate that their products had the innovation that our panel was looking for and could add value to the UK information security market.”

Batten said the scheme would now be run on a regular basis with the second set of invitations to vendors it would like to shortlist set to be sent out in May.

He added: “In the past couple of years there has been a lack of vendors entering the market. In a survey we conducted at one of our Rant events, the feedback was that there are not enough innovative products entering the UK.

“We envisage to change this with our Critical Security Solutions initiative and encourage more security solutions from around the world to enter the UK market.”