We met with Professor Neil Barron, CEO, founder, and 'wearer of many hats' at Litelok to reflect on his entrepreneurial journey and shine a light on engineering and innovation that is improving lives.
Following a series of bicycle thefts, Neil applied principles of aerospace engineering to develop patented technologies and products that protect against the most aggressive attacks of theft. After racking up sales of £5.2 million last year, the company was recognised in The Sunday Times Hundred 2025 as one of the hundred fastest growing businesses in UK.
In your own words what is LITELOK?
Litelok breaks away from outdated standards to deliver cutting-edge solutions that transform the world of security. Dedicated to research and development, we advance bicycle and motorcycle lock technology, empowering cyclists to protect what matters to them most.
At the forefront of our innovation is Barronium®, an advanced fused composite armour material that is integrated into our LITELOK X range. It offers outstanding resistance to angle grinders, while resisting other common forms of attack. Our signature lightweight and flexible designs feature Boaflexicore® or Boaflexicore Plus®, a solution that we developed to offer strength without compromising on flexibility.
Shott Scale Up Accelerator allowed me to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to polish my entrepreneurial and leadership skills and connect with many likeminded innovators.
Our technologies are developed in Wales and our products are manufactured here too, in our solar powered factory in Swansea.
Engineering is all about solving problems. What problem is LITELOK solving?
Protecting bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles across the globe from theft. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, 77,313 bicycles are reported stolen in the UK on average each year. That means that a bike is stolen every seven minutes. This only covers the reported cases – the actual number of bike thefts could be at least double this. The challenge isn’t just about the loss of personal property – it can also affect the mental wellbeing of the victims.
The most recent data from the Crime Survey for England and Wales indicate that 81% of victims were emotionally affected by the theft. Unsurprisingly, bike theft causes many victims to rethink their attitude to cycling. Data from the survey from stolen-bikes.co.uk found that 66% of bike theft victims cycled less and 25% gave up cycling altogether, similar to numbers found in bike theft statistics for the US. We are helping to keep people cycling confidently, which is good for mental and physical health, and good for the planet.
We have also published our own research on bike theft based on information from our customers.
What makes LITELOK ground-breaking?
We developed an angle grinder-resistant technology and material, called Barronium®, over five years in partnership with Swansea University and with the support of the UK government.
Traditional locks rely on hardened steels that balance impact resistance and hardness, but we needed something tougher. Since no suitable material existed, we created our own, fusing ultra-hard components, like advanced ceramics, directly to hardened steel. This composite structure resists cutting, impact, and brute force.
Think of it like cutlery and a plate; one provides durability and ductility, the other extreme hardness and wear resistance. They work together in harmony, just like the layers in our locks, delivering unmatched protection through innovative engineering.
What was the moment that made you think “I can turn this into a commercial opportunity”?
When I started looking at this area, bikes were getting lighter while locks appeared to be getting heavier. As a former aerospace engineer – who also had three bikes stolen – I thought I could do better by bringing an aerospace approach to the security space. The priority was making something better, then making it work commercially. I think that’s the right way round; one can generally engineer cost out of a product, but if the function and idea is not good to start with, then there’s no innovation and no point of difference, no improvement.
Wading into unknown territory can be unsettling – what were you most excited by and what was most challenging for you when starting out?
I completely underestimated the physics and engineering challenges to which I committed myself! Making products that someone wants to intentionally break is not for the faint hearted. I pride myself on first principles thinking – what I call ‘intelligent naivety’, which can be a superpower. However, once your innovation starts to pass independent tests, followed by success stories on the streets, it can be very rewarding and exciting.
Can you share a time when failure mattered in your business journey?
Many times. Our products are developed through prototypes that fail, we then iterate or even rethink and go around a cycle of continuous improvement. There was a change to an extremely challenging external accreditation test. Ultimately, it drove us to innovate even harder and faster.
How did you go about building your team and finding your first team members?
Very carefully and quite slowly (economics). I advertised, leveraged my networks and interviewed intensively. I made mistakes, but I tried to learn from them quickly. I tried to find people that would fit the mission and the team above stellar skillsets. Lots of things can be learnt, but if you can’t work together, then it’s a non-starter.
What motivates or inspires you to keep going with LITELOK?
It’s the culmination of everything I’ve ever done in my career so far – creating a brand, patented technologies, production processes, manufacturing products that make a tangible difference. Most importantly developing a team and a culture which holds it all together.
What has been the most surprising aspect about your entrepreneurial journey?
It’s surprising how few people are genuinely that interested in your innovation until it is profitable! I’m also surprised at how few people believe that one person can be founder, innovator, and CEO. It is possible, and it can be extremely valuable to the business and wider economy.
Success is often subjective; it means and looks different to everyone. What do you pride as success so far for LITELOK?
Not only are we helping riders keep their bikes safe from would-be bike thieves, but as a business, we are growing, with staff and space to design and engineer whatever we can imagine. Our operations are designed for sustainability - powered by solar energy and driven using environmentally responsible materials, reflecting our commitment to minimising ecological impact and promoting clean manufacturing.
Often these things do not go hand in hand with commercial success, but by careful charting of the business through difficult times – like Brexit, Covid, war and tariffs – we’ve managed to balance the technical and ecological concerns with business.
We have just been listed in The Sunday Times Hundred 2025, a ranking of the hundred fastest growing businesses in UK. This is a source of immense pride to the whole team, backers, and supporters.
Is there something you know now that you wish someone had told you when you started?
I have ultimate respect for anyone who starts and builds a business successfully, whatever the scale. It is just a lot of work, a lot of setbacks that require a lot of patience, as well as self-belief and determination.
I can’t criticise my journey because I’ve learnt so much. If there was one thing I wish someone had told me, is to pace yourself and manage your own expectations. “Overnight” success can take decades!
Be yourself. Live your innovation. Take a breath. Be confident yet open. Learn and enjoy your journey.
Once your innovation starts to pass independent tests, followed by success stories on the streets, it can be very rewarding and exciting.
What impact has the Enterprise Hub had on LITELOK?
The Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub has been superb. It’s supported me through multiple schemes. Shott Scale Up Accelerator allowed me to go to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to polish my entrepreneurial skills and to connect with so many likeminded innovators, both in the UK and globally.
Everything about the Academy is so positive and it’s doing very important work. The UK can be a centre for innovation and engineering, and profitable manufacturing in the UK is possible – but it takes focus and support. The Enterprise Hub membership is something I treasure.
And finally, have you got any tips for potential applicants?
Be yourself. Live your innovation. Take a breath. Be confident yet open. Learn and enjoy your journey.
Quick fire
- Who is your role model? Louis Pasteur, for his amazing quote, “‘Chance favours the prepared mind”.
- A random fact not many people know about me is.... One of my projects was recognised in Time magazine’s 2004 ‘Invention of the Year’ – an internet enabled surfboard for Intel.
- When I was a child, I wanted to be… A pilot, an inventor or a chef!
- Netflix/Prime show I am currently binging... Simon Reeve’s Scandinavia.
- Best piece of advice I’ve ever received is.... Trust your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.
- Conversely, the worst piece of advice is... “It’s not possible” (from many sources).
- I don’t understand why… We have conflict when there is so much that is magical and joyous in the world.
- If I were an investor, the Hub Member I would invest in is.... Ismail Sami – new battery technology. If it does what he thinks and says it will, this could be a game changer.
- If I had to start all over again, I would change.... Very little. I might give myself a break more often than I have, and more importantly, say thank you much more often to my wife and children, and all family and friends who have been so supportive.
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