Innovation Cybersecurity Ecosystem at BLOCK71 (ICE71) has unveiled ten promising cybersecurity startups at its second ICE71 Accelerate Demo Day, held on Wednesday, May 8, in Singapore.
Coming from Singapore, India, Turkey, Vietnam, the UK, and the US, these early-stage startups have been chosen to participate the ICE71 Accelerate programme.
The programme culminated in Demo Day, where they pitched to an audience of over 150 investors and cybersecurity leaders, seeking investment and business development opportunities.
CE71 is a partnership between Singtel Innov8, the corporate venture capital arm of the Singtel Group, and NUS Enterprise, the entrepreneurial arm of the National University of Singapore (NUS).
"Increasingly, enterprises and governments need to work more closely with start-ups to address the frequency, scale, and sophistication of cyber threats globally," said Edgar Hardless, CEO of Singtel Innov8. Bringing together promising start-ups and connecting them with leading investors, enterprises and government agencies will help to strengthen Singapore’s cybersecurity ecosystem, he added. "This also creates a conducive environment for the roll-out of new and innovative technologies which can power Singapore’s Smart Nation goals.”
The latest batch of cybersecurity start-ups builds on the success already achieved by the start-ups from ICE71 Accelerate's first cohort unveiled in October 2018.
Professor Freddy Boey, Deputy President (Innovation and Enterprise) of NUS, said, “Cybersecurity is among the key pillars supporting Singapore’s Smart Nation ambitions. It is therefore crucial for our people, businesses and enterprises to be well protected in today's digital environment. The key to supporting the nation’s ambitions lies in driving cybersecurity innovation and encouraging more enterprising cybersecurity entrepreneurs and start-ups to make Singapore their home.”
Supported by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA), the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and corporate partners such as Cisco, ICE71 aims to strengthen Singapore’s growing cybersecurity ecosystem by attracting and developing competencies and new technologies in the region.
After Demo Day, ICE71 will continue to guide and support these start-ups through further fundraising, product development and commercial expansion. It will also provide access to community events with ecosystem partners, thought leadership programmes, engagements with enterprises and government entities, and opportunities to present at regional cybersecurity conferences.
