Darktrace chief Poppy Gustafsson comes out fighting after investor attack

Darktrace boss Poppy Gustafsson has come out fighting after an attack on the cyber firm by an investor and a subsequent financial probe.

The chief executive dismissed ‘recent distractions’, saying Darktrace has the ‘greatest integrity’.

It came after New York hedge fund Quintessential Capital Management in January said it was ‘deeply sceptical’ about its finances and accused it of ‘overstated’ sales figures.

Darktrace has since commissioned auditor EY to independently review its financial processes.

Darktrace said revenue for the six months to the end of December was up 36 per cent year-on-year to £219.2million.

 Profit climbed 33 per cent to £50.5million, smashing analyst forecasts.

It uses artificial intelligence to help firms detect cyber attacks and vulnerabilities.