Solid State Logic has appointed Algam EKO as its distributor for large-format consoles in Italy. The agreement covers its live, broadcast and studio console lines.

Algam EKO will handle product distribution, technical support and market development across Italy, as well as Vatican City and San Marino, with immediate effect. Based in Montelupone on Italy’s east coast, the company will take on the role immediately.

The appointment reshapes Solid State Logic’s route to market in an important country for professional audio sales across live sound, broadcast production and recording facilities. Large-format consoles occupy a specialist part of that market, where manufacturers often rely on local distribution partners for sales coverage, customer support and relationships with systems integrators, broadcasters, venues and studios.

It also builds on Solid State Logic’s existing relationship with the wider Algam Group. The British audio equipment maker has worked with executives at Algam EKO for years and already knows the French parent group through a long-running partnership in France.

Algam EKO combines the operations and heritage of two established businesses: France’s Algam and Italian distributor EKO, founded in 1959. The company serves several parts of the professional audio market, including live, broadcast, studio, education, installation and communication.

Distribution partnerships remain central to professional audio because many purchases involve consultation, installation support and after-sales service rather than simple product delivery. Manufacturers of mixing consoles and related equipment typically need local teams that can support customers through procurement, specification and long-term maintenance.

That is especially relevant in broadcast and studio environments, where purchasing cycles can be lengthy and systems are often integrated into wider production workflows. In live sound, local support can also play a major role for rental firms, touring providers and venues that need quick access to technical assistance and spare parts.

Existing ties

Philippe Guerinet, Director of International Sales at Solid State Logic, pointed to those longstanding connections in explaining the choice of partner.

“I have been working with Giovanni Blasi and Giacomo Laria for many years, and we know the Algam Group very well since they have been our long-time partners in France,” said Philippe Guerinet, Director of International Sales at Solid State Logic.

He added that the company expects the Italian operation to combine local infrastructure with direct contact with its UK headquarters.

“By building our solid and long-term relationship and their distribution infrastructure in Italy, this great team of professionals will serve our Italian customers at the highest standard, while maintaining a strong and direct relationship with SSL headquarters in Oxford,” said Philippe Guerinet, Director of International Sales at Solid State Logic.

The comments reflect a common model in the sector, in which overseas distributors provide on-the-ground sales and support while maintaining a close link to the manufacturer on product positioning and customer issues. For companies operating in niche professional markets, that balance can be important in retaining brand identity while extending reach.

Italy has long been a significant market for music production, live events, installed sound and broadcast operations, making it a logical focus for audio console suppliers. Including Vatican City and San Marino gives Algam EKO responsibility for the wider Italian-speaking territory often served through a single commercial structure.

Market coverage

Algam EKO’s background may be one reason Solid State Logic sees an advantage in the appointment. Its business spans several professional verticals, which can matter when suppliers are selling products used across different production settings rather than to a single customer segment.

In practice, that means one distributor may deal with studio owners, outside broadcast operators, educational institutions, installed sound specialists and live production companies at the same time. That overlap is useful for console makers because the same underlying technology and brand reputation often carry across multiple markets.

Stelvio Lorenzetti, Chief Executive Officer at Algam EKO, said the agreement continues a partnership with an existing history.

“I am delighted to continue this long-standing partnership with SSL, not only to enhance SSL’s brand’s reputation, but also to foster meaningful relationships with the exceptional individuals I have had the pleasure of working with over the years,” said Stelvio Lorenzetti, Chief Executive Officer at Algam EKO.

Solid State Logic is known in the professional audio industry for analogue and digital consoles used in music, broadcast, live and post-production settings. Algam EKO brings an established distribution footprint in Italy through a business formed from French and Italian operations dating back decades.

Oxbrew Taproom Ltd is the second reincarnation of Oxbrew, a microbrewery first formed by Aaron Baldwin and his stepfather Simon Scamp in Enstone, near Witney, in 2016.

In a statement a spokesperson for the brewery said: “OXBREW is back!

“After a period of what one might politely call “strategic hibernation” since 2019, OXBREW is stirring again in Oxford. New site, bigger bones and just enough space to finally bring the original dream to life.

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Simon Scamp, left, and step-son Aaron run Oxbrew (Image: Gem Toes-Crichton)

“The Brewery, Taproom and Smokehouse are very much a work in progress (translation: please don’t expect to pop in for a pint next week).

“But the foundations are laid, the ambition is intact and the beer will be worth the wait.”

The microbrewery which shut down after an unsuccessful merger with another brewing company has submitted plans to launch a new taproom near Oxford’s city centre.

Mr Baldwin has relaunched the business, applying for a premises license for a site in Botley, on the Osney Mead Industrial Estate.

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Symm House in Osney Mead Industrial estate, where Oxbrew Taproom plan to set up (Image: Madeleine Evans)

An application lodged with Oxford City Council specifies that the premises will be used as a brewery and taproom with outside seating, plus a shop, collections and online sales packaging, with food and drink served on site.

The new spot its earmarked for is Symm House, which was the home of building company Symm for 200 years before it went into administration in 2020.

The application said: “Our brewery and taproom will be more than just a place to enjoy excellent beer and locally sourced food prepared freshly on-site.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Wavestone has identified 155 new cybersecurity startups in the UK in 2026. Its annual survey found only nine scaleups in the sector.

The figures point to a sharp rise in company formation but limited progress from early-stage businesses into larger operations.

The consultancy’s 2026 UK Cybersecurity Startup Radar tracked 235 UK organisations across startups, scaleups and unicorns. It portrays a market generating new entrants at speed while struggling to turn that activity into a broader base of scaling businesses.

New company creation rose 252% from 44 startups identified a year earlier to 155 in 2026. Yet the number of scaleups remained at nine, underlining what the report describes as a weak conversion rate between startup formation and later-stage growth.

Regional shift

Much of the expansion came from outside the capital. More than 86% of the newly identified startups, or 134 out of 155, were based beyond London, compared with 52% the previous year, when 23 of 44 new startups were located outside the city.

The shift suggests cybersecurity entrepreneurship is becoming more geographically dispersed across the UK. It also reflects a broader pattern of regional technology clusters taking a larger share of new business formation.

London remains an important centre for the industry, but no longer dominates the flow of new entrants in the same way. A wider spread of startups could broaden access to talent and customers, though it also raises questions about whether local funding and support networks are strong enough to help firms grow.

Funding gap

The report also found a shift in the size of investment rounds. Funding below £2.5 million increased, with the strongest growth in rounds below £100,000, while investment above that level continued to fall from an already low base.

That matters because larger rounds often help young companies move from product development and early sales into sustained expansion. A market with more very small rounds but fewer larger cheques may support company creation without solving the challenge of scaling.

The findings point to a financing gap at the stage when startups need fresh capital to hire, expand sales and enter new markets. In sectors such as cybersecurity, where buyers can include governments and large companies with long procurement cycles, limited access to growth funding can slow the path from concept to meaningful revenue.

Sales pressure

Founders said generating prospects was their biggest challenge. About 38% cited it as the main hurdle ahead, making customer acquisition a more immediate concern than product development or technical execution.

The survey also found that 67% of organisations were already selling outside the UK. That suggests many cybersecurity startups are looking overseas early in their development, either to find larger markets or to offset constraints in domestic demand.

International sales can provide an important route to growth, but they can also stretch small teams still trying to establish themselves at home. Early cross-border expansion often requires extra spending on compliance, hiring and market knowledge, which may be harder if funding remains concentrated at the smallest end of the market.

AI adoption

Another notable shift was the growing use of artificial intelligence in cybersecurity products. The study found that 62% of the organisations now use AI in their offerings, up from 30% in 2025.

The increase shows how quickly AI has moved from a differentiator to a more common feature in the sector. For many startups, it is becoming part of product design rather than a separate line of research, especially in areas such as automation, detection and analysis.

Rising AI use also suggests competition among cybersecurity startups may be harder to sustain through technology claims alone. If most new entrants adopt similar tools, companies may need to stand out through execution, distribution and customer relationships rather than by simply adding AI to products.

Florian Pouchet, Partner and Head of Cybersecurity and Operational Resilience at Wavestone, said: “UK cybersecurity innovation is growing at record pace and increasingly outside of London. However, founders are struggling to identify prospects, and scaling remains rare, while growth capital continues to contract. If the UK wants to become a sovereign cybersecurity force, the domestic market needs to back the companies it is successfully producing.”

Overall, the study shows a cybersecurity sector with strong entrepreneurial momentum but a narrow path to maturity. With 235 organisations mapped across the market and only nine scaleups identified, the gap between startup creation and sustained growth remains one of the clearest findings in the data.