A Bristol tech-based security firm that helps businesses disrupt human trafficking, organised crime and cyber attacks, has received a £5m investment to fund further growth.
Clue’s cloud-based investigation case management and intelligence SaaS (software-as-a-service) platform is already used by police, governments and the private, sport and not-for-profit sectors around the world. 
With the £5m investment from London-based Frog Capital, a leading investor in European scale-up software firms, it plans to further develop the platform and increase its international business.
Its investigation case management and intelligence platform brings together AI, automation and data insights to enable organisations to prevent harm and secure justice by building intelligence and quickly progressing investigations in the face of evolving threats, increasing volumes of data and the need for multi-agency collaboration.
In this way it can help counter serious and organised crime, corruption, safeguarding, environmental, financial, corporate and global threats and even identify cheating in professional sports.
Its customers include global giants such as Amazon along government departments such as the Home Office and NHS as well as the City of London Police.
The firm, based in Hengrove, was launched six-and-a-half years ago by CEO Clare Elford, with demand for its services has more than doubling over the past two years.
Clare said: “The world of intelligence and investigations is no longer constrained to policing, there is much wider application.
“Organisations are under growing scrutiny, finding themselves more susceptible to threats and with a much greater duty of care towards the vulnerable.
“Clue has productised decades of investigation expertise into a platform that empowers intelligence officers and investigation experts to achieve successful outcomes.
“So many of those dedicated to preventing harm and seeking justice have to deal with an overwhelming volume and complexity of data.
“Still reliant on legacy systems, or even spreadsheets, this is a sector primed for digital transformation.”
Clue COO Thomas Drohan added: “With this investment, we will strengthen the capabilities of the platform with further AI and ML (machine learning) capability, automation, data insights and business intelligence, while continuing to support and build our user community.
“Frog have a formidable track record, with an impressive team who we are looking forward to working with to deploy the Scale-up Methodology and drive business growth and a solution to better serve the market.”
Joining Clare and Thomas on Clue’s board are chief financial officer Nick Harber – who has been CFO of a number of Bristol tech firms, including Open Bionics and Blu Wireless Technology – and Frog Capital senior partner Mike Reid.
Adam Hale, chair of the ScaleUp Institute, has been appointed as chairman.
Mike Reid said: “Across the industries that Clue serves there’s a deep-rooted frustration at the lack of good enough tech to allow people to do their investigative work as efficiently and thoroughly as they need.
“For too long there’s been a staggering underinvestment in how investigations are done, resulting in missed opportunities and slow outcomes for hardworking investigative teams and the people they serve.
“Clue’s technology is genuinely delivering very significant clients a step change in how they manage and resolve incredibly complex and sensitive investigation cases.
“With Frog’s investment and experienced team of operators, Clue can accelerate their incredibly positive organisational and, critically, social impact in the key fields of policing, child welfare, financial crime amongst many others.”
