Startups shaping the future of cybersecurity join the Cyber Accelerator

The Tehnopol Startup Incubator, in cooperation with the Information System Authority (RIA) and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), is running the Cyber Accelerator, a program supporting cybersecurity startups in developing and bringing their innovative products and services to market. Six high-potential startups have been selected for the accelerator’s third cohort.

The goal of the Cyber Accelerator is to foster innovation and product development in the field of cybersecurity – thereby promoting entrepreneurship and helping to protect people and businesses from cyber threats. The selected teams will receive top-level mentoring and up to €60,000 in grant funding to support their product development.

“We see that cyber risks are growing every day, and as a society, we must be able to respond to them. This requires new and innovative solutions,” said Lauri Tankler, Head of the Research and Development Coordination Department at RIA. “To ensure that innovation doesn’t remain just a wishful idea, we aim to help these solutions reach the market by providing them with time and resources to further develop their activities.”

The following startups were selected for the program:

• Askara AI Solutions – developing an AI-powered compliance platform that helps organizations meet cybersecurity directive (NIS2) and ISO certification requirements.
• CyberTested – creating AI-based software for penetration testing and dark web monitoring.
• ScamGuardian.ai – building a solution that helps telecom and financial institutions combat scam and fraud schemes.
• TrustOps – developing a platform for software developers that uses trusted hardware, blockchain, and cryptography to gather information on how software is developed, tested, and deployed. This allows regulated industries to automatically demonstrate compliance with software requirements.
• AppSWOT – enabling small and medium-sized enterprises to assess their compliance with information security standards, build their own information security management system, and maintain it efficiently.
• Cymph – developing a cybersecurity playbook platform designed to connect an organization’s cybersecurity tools into one cohesive system, making it easier to create, update, and share security workflows.

Anne-Liisa Elbrecht, Head of the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, emphasized that cybersecurity remains a critical topic for both companies and society, where startups’ flexibility and creativity play an invaluable role. “The teams selected for the Cyber Accelerator are developing solutions that help businesses and individuals feel safer in the digital world. Our role is to give them the momentum, knowledge, and support they need to reach the market faster and get closer to attracting capital,” said Elbrecht, adding that the accelerator’s mission aligns with Tehnopol’s goal of supporting world-changing innovation and technology entrepreneurship.

During the program, the participating startups will go through an intensive training and mentoring process, guided by RIA experts, Tehnopol mentors, and experienced investors. The teams will also receive specialized training from experts in legal, marketing, sales, and fundraising topics, and will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to investors.

The Cyber Accelerator is co-funded by the European Union’s Digital Europe Programme and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC).