Oli Fletcher, Co-founder, Strand Intelligence

Introduce yourself:

I’m Oliver Fletcher, cofounder of Strand Intelligence, a Manchester-based cybersecurity SaaS company focused on automating digital forensics and incident response. My career has been shaped by helping organisations deliver complex technology programmes and, more recently, by building innovative products that help businesses stay cyber attack ready.

Career highlight:

Launching Strand Intelligence has been the standout moment. We’ve developed the first platform of its kind to automate investigations into cyber incidents, helping organisations respond faster, uncover root causes, and generate audit-ready reports instantly. Winning Security Product Of the Year 2025 at the Computing Cloud Excellence Awards was a proud validation of that work.

Name three words that describe your personality:

Driven, collaborative, entrepreneurial

What’s the best thing about pro-manchester?

The community. Pro-Manchester is a genuine hub of collaboration where businesses connect, share knowledge, and create opportunities across the region. The focus on building real relationships makes it stand out.

What are your priorities for 2025?

For Strand, our focus is growth: expanding our partner network, closing our seed investment round, and scaling across the UK market. Personally, my priority is making sure that as we grow, we stay true to our mission: making every business, big or small, cyber attack ready.

What do you think are the most important things going on in Manchester at the moment?

Manchester is proving itself as a national leader in technology, digital innovation, and AI. Andy Burnham said at MTF this week, the next stage of Manchester technology growth is in creating a digital society – democratising the great technology achievements we’ve made. Cybersecurity and AI are both becoming defining themes for the region, and we’re excited to be a part of that.

Favourite meeting place in Manchester?

Flawd – small plates and great wine! A testament to the exceptional hospitality industry that Manchester has to offer, as well technology.

Are their any particular types of businesses that you would like to meet?

• Law firms that specialise in cyber litigation
• Managed service providers (MSPs)
• Cybersecurity consultancies and incident response firms
• Corporate risk and compliance teams
• Large enterprises with a focus on digital resilience