Former Darktrace founder Poppy Gustafsson is quitting her role as minister for investment for the UK government less than a year after taking the post.
It comes amid a wider reshuffle among senior roles in government triggered by deputy prime minister Angela Raynor’s resignation on Friday, and is the latest blow to government hopes of wooing business leaders.
The departure could be announced in the coming days, according to Sky News, which first reported the story.
Gustafsson founded cybersecurity startup Darktrace in 2013, becoming CEO three years later, steering the company to IPO in 2021. The firm was acquired by Thoma Bravo for $5.3bn in April 2024.
Gustafsson asked to step back from her government role months ago, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with her thinking.
“She was the wrong choice in the first place and in the past few months she has only been allowed to do a meet and greet role and she has no input into policy or deals,” the publication reported one former minister as saying.
“The job doesn’t work unless you have a strong link into No 10 and she never managed to achieve that.”
All change
It’s been a summer of change for tech folk in the UK government. In June, Entrepreneurs First founder Matt Clifford announced he would be stepping back from the role of AI advisor to the prime minister Keir Starmer for personal reasons. He was replaced by OpenAI alumni Jade Leung in August.
Meanwhile Greg Jackson, CEO of energy giant Octopus Energy was appointed to a non-executive position on the Cabinet Office Board in August.
The UK government department of business and trade declined to comment on Gustafsson’s departure. Gustafsson has been approached for comment.
