Young IT Security companies presented their business models in front of an audience. For the first time, the teams competed for prize money of 5,000 euros.
Eleven startups, five minute pitches and one wildcard
New this year was the Liftoff Pitch in the morning. For the first time Cube 5 hosted its four-month accelerator program ‘Liftoff’. Six companies in the early stages of their development introduced themselves an audience of investors and companies in 5-minute pitches. The wildcard for the 4th IT Security Pitch in the afternoon went to a spin-off of the Ruhr University Bochum. The startup emproof helps companies protect their product software against reverse engineering and product piracy.
ITS.Connect Award 2019
In May this year, the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security (HGI) organized the company contact fair "ITS.Connect" for the twelfth time already - a unique fair in Germany focusing on the IT security industry. The numerous startups that emerged from the HGI are also increasingly using the ITS.Connect as a recruitment platform for specialists. With the award, ITS.Connect will support the startup scene by offering a platform for networking with students and graduates from Bochum in the field of IT security. In doing so, it would also like to make a contribution to establishing entrepreneurial perspectives in IT security education. The ‘ITS.Connect Award’ is endowed with 5,000 euros. It also includes the offer of a free booth at ITS.Connect on 5th May 2020 for the winning startup of the IT Security Pitch Day 2019. This year, the prize was won by a young company called Build38.
Build38 – Mobile application security
The startup from Munich sells software licenses to use the software library (SDK) and cloud with an annual subscription to B2B customers. The cloud monitors the condition of the mobile app and enables enhanced fraud management to customers. This reduces operational and security risks and software spend due to a reduced technology stack. Primary markets of Build are in Asia due to high growth rates of the mobile market and established sales channel.
Jury of investors and corporates
The jury of the 4th IT Security Pitch in the afternoon included Gitte Bedford (Robert Bosch Venture Capital), Michael Lucassen (TIIN Capital), Willi Mannheims (eCAPITAL), Dr. Ulrich Schmitt (High-Tech-Gründerfonds), Dr. Matthias Schunter (Intel Collaborative Institute for Secure Computing) and Dr. Thomas Wille (NXP Semiconductors). Among other things, they included the innovation of the product, the business model, the team and their competencies. During the breaks, guests were able to talk to the eleven startups.
General note: In case of using gender-assigning attributes we include all those who consider themselves in this gender regardless of their own biological sex.