Next Big Thing

Metr is a company specializing in the development of a universal Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure tailored for the housing industry. Its hardware platform facilitates a variety of applications, including energy efficiency, predictive maintenance, building control, and submetering, by integrating third-party services into a cohesive system. Metr focuses on enhancing energy efficiency in existing buildings that lack installed management systems, providing transparency in energy consumption through metering point operations. The company optimizes energy usage for various heat generator manufacturers, empowering clients to embrace digitalization in their processes and deliver innovative, cost-effective services to their tenants.

Enclave Networks Limited, based in Newport, United Kingdom, specializes in cybersecurity solutions, specifically offering a modern Zero Trust Network Access platform that serves as a replacement for traditional corporate VPNs. The company simplifies access to private resources by connecting various users, applications, cloud workloads, containers, and IoT devices without the need for VPN servers, firewall modifications, or additional infrastructure. Enclave establishes private mesh overlay networks that operate under strict policy controls, ensuring that participating systems communicate on a need-to-know basis. By default, these systems remain hidden from the public internet, enhancing security by keeping them behind closed firewalls. Once policies are applied, members within the mesh can connect directly through automatic mutual authentication and NAT traversal, allowing organizations to maintain a closed firewall environment. This approach reduces the attack surface and makes infrastructure less discoverable and targetable, ultimately helping businesses and public sector entities address emerging cybersecurity threats effectively.