With the digitalisation of the economy and the introduction of new technologies come new cyber threats that require smart solutions. The aim of the Cyber Accelerator is to support innovators in the field of cybersecurity and to develop new products and services that will help protect Estonian people and businesses in cyberspace.
‘Like many other sectors, there is a strong expectation in the cybersecurity for new, cheaper, faster, and non-traditional solutions,’ said Lauri Tankler, Head of Research and Development Coordination at RIA. ‘With a strong cyber foundation and a start-up culture, Estonia is the ideal breeding ground for the next big breakthrough in cybersecurity technology.’
The programme will support early-stage cybersecurity companies with both product and business development for seven months. The Cyber Accelerator is open to student teams, researchers, start-up entrepreneurs, and spin-off teams of SMEs, among others.
The accelerator has already given a boost to 14 companies
In the two previous rounds of the accelerator, 14 companies have already entered the market with their solutions. One of these companies is Phishbite.
While the accelerator saw Phishbite launch a language model based phishing test service, the company now also offers comprehensive cyber hygiene training for corporate employees.
According to the company's founder and CEO, Henrik Uustalo, Phishbite would not have been possible without the Cyber Accelerator. ‘We got the initial funding we needed, a useful training programme, and access to a very wide mentoring network from the Cyber Accelerator. An additional benefit was the exposure to other companies that participated in the accelerator which enabled us to expand our network of contacts in our field,’ said Uustalo.
According to him, the contacts they have made through Cyber Accelerator and the support of the RIA and Tehnopol have opened many doors that would otherwise have remained closed.
Today, Phishbite has grown into an independent company and has provided services to more than 70 clients. The service is available in ten languages and the company operates mainly in Estonia, Latvia, and Poland.
You can read more about all the other companies that have participated in the accelerator and the cybersecurity products and services they have created here (in Estonian).
The deadline to apply for the new round of Cyber Accelerator is 13 July. All the relevant information on how to participate in the accelerator can be found on the Tehnopol website. The site also identifies the development areas prioritised by the RIA.
