Superscript Report Reveals 33% of Startup and Scaleup Businesses Have Experienced a Cybersecurity or Data Protection Breach in the Past 12 Months

Today Superscript, the digital insurance broker, releases a report helping startups and scaleups to thrive in today’s climate. Superscript surveyed 500 founders and CFOs of firms from seed stage to IPO-ready finding 54% are concerned about cyber-security and data risks, and 33% have experienced a cyber-attack in the last 12 months. 

Superscript’s report – Risk and success: the startup and scaleup edition – provides analysis, advice and expert guidance to help set founders and leaders up for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected risk landscape.

The report has dedicated chapters covering; cyber-security, legal and compliance, financial and funding risks, leadership and talent challenges, reputation management, operations, tech stack failures and geopolitical risks. 

The guide is structured to give founders the skills and tools to navigate the intersectional nature of running a business – drawing on the expertise from industry experts in their respective fields and giving founders practical frameworks arming them with the knowledge on how they can grow with confidence. 

The report features over twenty contributors across different business disciplines to create a comprehensive guide for growing companies; including best practice advice from CharlieHR, Compliance Angle, DRD Partnerships, Gathr, SafeWeb, Threatplane, and Zinc. 

Chris Barclay, CEO at Superscript said: “This report unpacks the biggest risks tech founders face as they scale in 2025. From cyber-security to AI ethics, leadership burnout to regulatory compliance, we examine the key threats and, more importantly, how they intersect because understanding this complexity is the first step towards mitigating it.

Scaling successfully means seeing risk not as a series of isolated threats, but as a complex, dynamic system that needs continuous assessment and adaptation. A poorly structured legal framework can expose a startup to costly disputes or a faulty algorithm can result in reputational damage. Recognising these risks early — and understanding their ripple effects — can be the difference between sustainable success and an avoidable downfall.”

The startup and scaleup landscape is challenging, with rapid shifts in technology, market uncertainty, stiff competition, hacking and rising costs. This report provides valuable insights and strategies to strengthen businesses in 2025 and beyond.

Chris Barclay continues: “The smartest founding teams don’t just react to problems — they anticipate them, connect the dots and build a business that can withstand the unexpected.

It’s time to take stock and identify weak points in your business web. Strengthen the strands that hold your business together using the mitigation strategies provided in this report. Because the best time to manage risk isn’t when it’s already unravelling — it’s right now.”

From today businesses can book a complementary health check with one of Superscript’s expert brokers for an independent analysis of their current insurance programme. 

This free and independent health check will analyse if a business has sufficient insurance for its needs. This immersive process will highlight potential gaps in business cover and identify areas where businesses may need more protection.

Superscript will also host a series of workshops and Q&As throughout the year to help founders connect with experts and arm themselves with the tools they need for success across the eight core disciplines of the report.