US cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks opens London HQ

Californian cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks has opened a new UK headquarters in London and will generate 485 jobs over the next five years in a boost for the City.

The office is located at 22 Bishopsgate, the second tallest building in the City of London. Palo Alto Networks said the 55th-floor office will home sales teams, engineers, threat intelligence experts and customer support.

It is Palo Alto Networks’ second presence in the UK since it entered the market in 2009. Founded in 2005, the Santa Clara-headquartered company provides cybersecurity tools for enterprises, including advanced firewalls and threat intelligence research.

“As the UK works towards achieving the government’s ambition of becoming a technology and scientific superpower by 2030, cybersecurity will be critical to its success,” said Helmut Reisinger, CEO of EMEA and LATAM for Palo Alto Networks.

“As new technologies transform how organisations across the UK operate, they are fuelling a rapid increase in cyber threats that directly impact the levels of resilience and trust in an interconnected economy.”

It is the latest vote of confidence in London from international tech firms. Earlier this year, US venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and ChatGPT maker OpenAI both announced plans to open London offices.

But it comes at a time when tech businesses are recalibrating their working arrangements. Facebook parent company Meta paid £149m to exit a 20-year lease on a London office building that the social media giant agreed to in 2021.