Sitehop

Sitehop is a cybersecurity company founded in Sheffield, UK, in 2021 by CEO Melissa Chambers and CTO Ben Harper. The company specializes in developing hardware-based encryption solutions designed to protect high-speed networks against current and future cyber threats, including those from quantum computing.

Sitehop addresses the performance bottlenecks associated with traditional software-based encryption, which often introduces latency and slows down communication networks. The firm's core technology utilizes Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to perform encryption in hardware, delivering ultra-low latency, high throughput, and increased energy efficiency. This hardware-first approach is designed to be crypto-agile, allowing for seamless adaptation to new encryption standards as they emerge.

The company's flagship product line, the SAFEseries, offers scalable, quantum-ready encryption for data in motion. Products like the SAFEblade 1100 can handle 100Gbps of data throughput with sub-microsecond latency and support thousands of secure tunnels simultaneously. This makes the technology suitable for demanding environments such as telecommunications, data centers, financial services, and critical national infrastructure. Sitehop's solutions are engineered to be significantly more energy-efficient, consuming up to 90% less power than software alternatives.

Since its founding, Sitehop has secured significant funding to fuel its growth and international expansion. After an initial NPIF-backed investment in 2023, the company raised £5 million in a seed round in February 2024 and a further £7.5 million in a Series A round in October 2025, bringing its total funding to over £13 million. Key investors include Northern Gritstone, Amadeus Capital Partners, Manta Ray, and Mercia Ventures. The company has engaged in major partnerships, including a successful proof-of-concept trial with BT at its advanced Gemini test facility, and its technology is live with a tier-one carrier across five countries.

Keywords: post-quantum cryptography, PQC, hardware encryption, FPGA, low latency encryption, network security, data-in-motion security, quantum-resistant, crypto-agility, IPsec, cybersecurity hardware, data center security, telecom security, critical infrastructure protection, high-speed networks, SAFEseries, SAFEblade, quantum computing threats, network encryption, secure networking