Co-investment is the sharing of funding between public institutions and private organizations to develop or deploy a project. Public funding can help reduce early costs or risks, while private investment adds capital and may signal that a service has commercial potential.
In cyber security, co-investment can support shared digital infrastructure, security research, or the deployment of protective services when costs or risks are too high for one participant alone. For example, a public agency and private providers might jointly fund secure infrastructure or tools used across an industry. Clear governance is important: participants should define ownership, security responsibilities, access rights, and how risks are managed. Without these safeguards, shared funding can create unclear accountability or dependencies between partners.