Could keeping devices safe be as easy as flipping a switch?

Summary:

• Founded in 2021, UK-based Goldilock tackles the risks of constant digital connection with its FireBreak solution, which can physically disconnect networks or devices.
• As Singapore invests heavily into its AI capabilities and workforce, Goldilock’s asset-level solution, Goldilock Embedded, helps organizations adopt the tech safely amid rising AI-enabled cyber threats.
• Supported by Singapore agencies like Enterprise Singapore and IPOS International, Goldilock is using IP-driven licensing and validation of its hardware-based tech to accelerate global expansion and showcase its value to investors.
• Learn how IPOS International’s IP Grow platform can support your IA and IP strategy and management needs.

Connection lies at the heart of the human experience. But in a world that’s constantly connected, especially digitally, that same instinct can often have a darker edge.

“Our desire for constant connection is actually problematic in the cybersecurity world because if you constantly have everything connected all the time, it’s only a matter of time before you’re attacked,” says Stephen Kines, co-founder and COO of cybersecurity solutions provider Goldilock.

Stephen Kines, co-founder and COO of Goldilock / Photo credit: Goldilock

For companies looking to protect their infrastructure against cyberattacks, it’s easy to be enamored with highly technical solutions. But what if stopping a cyberattack could be as simple as sending a text message?

Have you tried turning it off?

This idea is what underpins Goldilock’s flagship FireBreak solution, which gives users a physical channel to control how their devices are connected to the internet. One of the key capabilities of FireBreak, developed with funding from the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator, is that users can send a text message during a cyber attack to trigger a physical disconnection, making access impossible.

This signal doesn’t require internet access. It also travels through a separate channel from the network under threat, which means that attackers who have compromised that network cannot intercept or block it.

Goldilock’s FireBreak solution / Photo credit: Goldilock

With the use of APIs, FireBreak can also integrate signals from other sources – such as firewalls – to trigger an action, which Kines says is “turning actionable intelligence into actions.”

“The fundamental principle of our technology is that network ports should only be connected when necessary,” Kines adds.

The solution has given Goldilock traction. According to Kines, it made more than US$2 million in revenue in 2025, and it was selected to participate in NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic the year after.

In 2025, the company was named the grand winner of Slingshot, Enterprise Singapore’s (ESG) global deeptech startup pitching competition, beating out 7,000 other applications to claim a S$400,000 (US$309,000) grant prize. Kines added that winning the competition also helped Goldilock secure a US$2 million investment from In Group, a Singapore-based investment firm.

The promise and risk of SG’s AI ambitions

Goldilock is addressing a timely issue, with cybercrime in Asia Pacific becoming more prevalent. Recent developments in advanced AI systems have even sparked global concern over how such capabilities might be misused.

At the same time, AI ambitions are on the rise. Singapore launched its first National AI strategy in 2019, which laid the foundations for AI projects across education, healthcare, logistics and security. That has evolved into a commitment to invest more than S$1 billion (US$786 million) into AI research and increase Singapore’s AI-focused workforce to 15,000. The 2026 Budget builds on those goals by allocating funds for a National AI council, tax deductions and allowances to encourage businesses to adopt AI, as well as an AI innovation park.

Image credit: Made by Tech in Asia using Midjourney

Although AI can be an “immense force for good,” Kines warns that the technology has led to “AI-enabled and cyber hybrid warfare, which is playing out in real-time.” Cybersecurity professionals are seeing widespread changes in the threat landscape as the technology accelerates the speed and breadth of attacks.

“AI proliferates the number of our connections, exposing us to constant attacks,” Kines says.

A base for global expansion

As Singapore accelerates its AI hub ambitions, Goldilock could help ensure that the city-state’s organizations are growing safely. According to Kines, the UK-based company was drawn to Singapore in part because of its “advanced” cybersecurity legislation and its efforts to enforce those rules.

Goldilock has benefited from the support and partnership with local agencies such as ESG and IPOS International.

ESG has been key to the company’s expansion across Asia, helping to organize trade missions to Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand. Kines also notes that ESG has provided funding support via a joint grant with the UK government.

Goldilock was also the grand winner of Slingshot, a startup pitching competition held by ESG / Photo credit: ESG

Meanwhile, IPOS International has been a critical partner, as Goldilock looks to capitalize on its intellectual property (IP) even further. Kines shares that the company operates partly as an original equipment manufacturer, given the physical nature of its product. This makes a shift toward a licensing model a key part of its growth strategy, helping it capture greater market share.

“We have a robust set of IP and patents, and IPOS International is performing an audit and an analysis on how we can leverage that from a financing perspective,” says Kines.

IPOS International’s audit of Goldilock’s IP portfolio and practices will also be important as the firm prepares to head into its series A fundraising round.

“Our hardware can be a bit difficult for investors to put a number on because even though we look like a box, there’s a lot of software inside,” Kines points out. “A lot of the IP protections that we have on our design are hard to reflect on a balance sheet that a VC fund can look at.”

Not only does this audit help Goldilock articulate the value of its IP assets in a way that investors can appreciate, but it also provides a clearer picture of how the company’s intangible assets are protected for sustainable growth in the long run.

“With the audit, we can tap into more financing to scale faster,” the COO adds.

Goldilock is not alone in this journey. Somnial, a Slingshot 2023 domain winner developing bioelectronic devices for sleep disorders, underwent a similar engagement with IPOS International, and has since made Singapore a base for its operations.

This, in turn, reflects a broader pattern of growth-stage deeptech companies choosing to anchor their IP and talent in the city-state.

Back to the physical

For Kines, one of Goldilock’s goals is to become a “platform for other technologies” to work alongside.

“We’re working closely with our partners like IPOS International who are important conduits to understanding what our customers want,” says Kines, noting that Goldilock is tailoring FireBreak for use cases such as aircraft, drones, and marine technologies.

He adds that at the heart of building these solutions is a desire to reshape how people think about constant connectivity and the toll it may take on them.

“We’re starting to realize the psychological and emotional effects of all that constant connection,” Kines points out. “Disconnecting is also about mental preservation, so I think it’s fundamental for us to want to take back physical control and keep our communities safe.”

IPOS International empowers enterprises, public agencies, and professionals to unlock tangible value from their intangible assets and IP and generate new economic flows through cutting-edge innovation. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore.

Learn how its IP Grow platform can help your firm get support on IA and IP strategy and management.

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