Startups invited to join forces with Kaspersky Lab to grow cybersecurity opportunities

Kaspersky Lab has launched a new initiative – the Kaspersky Open Innovation Program – to foster collaboration with innovative tech-based startups, to help accelerate development and generate new business opportunities together. Growing businesses from all over the world, working on advanced projects on the periphery of cybersecurity will have access to the company’s channel partner ecosystem, along with its huge global client base and industry-leading expertise.

Update 13 September, 2019: This text was updated from the original press release to reflect a change in the date of the Demo Day, from September 19, 2019 to October 10, 2019.

By participating in the program, startups will be able to significantly expand their potential customer base by joining a globally recognized brand in the cybersecurity sector. Kaspersky Lab will also benefit from the collaborations by complementing its portfolio with innovative products and technologies to deliver faster and better solutions that meet its customers’ cybersecurity needs.

In order to join the program, candidates are invited to participate in a challenge put together by Kaspersky Lab and BIBA Venture Partners. This challenge is designed for those companies working on advanced projects at the edge of cybersecurity in the following areas: transportation, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), anti-fraud and blockchain.

Startups participating in the challenge will have to show how their products or technologies solve concrete cybersecurity use cases. During the selection process, experts will also assess a startup’s readiness to rapidly develop their business and their interest in collaborating with Kaspersky Lab to improve the global cybersecurity landscape.

The best projects will be chosen for technical integration with Kaspersky Lab products and become part of the company’s portfolio promoted all over the world. These startups will also receive technical and business mentoring and have access to Kaspersky Lab channel partners (including distributors and resellers), clients and prospects via the company’s sales and presales forces. They will also be able to collaborate with the R&D office and expand globally in every region where the company operates.

“We are pleased to invite groundbreaking startups to participate in our challenge. It is a tremendous opportunity for growing businesses to develop their projects and conquer the global market. As an international cybersecurity vendor, we are interested in creating advanced solutions that satisfy the needs of different industries. By integrating the best solutions with our technologies, we aim to combine and maximize values for the corporate cybersecurity strategies of customers and prospects. Kaspersky Lab scouts, validates, nurtures and enhances the most advanced and disruptive technologies to support the digital transformation of our clients,” said Vitaly Mzokov, Head of Verification at Kaspersky Lab.

“Cybersecurity is a top pain point for most corporate executives. Critical infrastructures, transportation, connected industry, and also the emerging crypto economy are all affected by cyberthreats. Kaspersky Lab knows that and is well ahead in bringing on board the most promising solutions. We are very proud to be its partner in sourcing the best startups, validating their products and building compelling solutions to global threats,” added Alberto Ratti, Managing Partner at BIBA Venture Partners.

The challenge for startups will conclude with a Demo Day on October 10, 2019 in Milan, Italy. During the event, selected entrepreneurs will present their projects, which will be reviewed by a jury of experts from Kaspersky Lab. Applications are now open for established companies and late-stage startups that already have a legal entity, product or prototype, along with several closed deals or ongoing pilots.  

For more details and to apply to take part in the challenge, please follow this link: http://innovations.kaspersky.com/. Closing date for online applications is July 28, 2019.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab is a global cybersecurity company, which has been operating in the market for over 21 years. Kaspersky Lab’s deep threat intelligence and security expertise is constantly transforming into next generation security solutions and services to protect businesses, critical infrastructure, governments and consumers around the globe. The company’s comprehensive security portfolio includes leading endpoint protection and a number of specialized security solutions and services to fight sophisticated and evolving digital threats. Over 400 million users are protected by Kaspersky Lab technologies and we help 270,000 corporate clients protect what matters most to them. Learn more at www.kaspersky.com.

About BIBA Venture Partners

BIBA Venture Partners is a leading innovation boutique specialized in open innovation and corporate venturing. Born in Barcelona, with offices in Lisbon, London, Madrid and Milan, its mission is to help corporations turn innovation into a tangible value. Through its portfolio of innovation services BIBA Venture Partners supports and guide big corporations in any stage of their business transformation journey, applying outside-in (technology scouting; open innovation programs) and inside-out (intrapreneurship, venture builder, spin-off) approaches to successfully access, source and integrate innovations. BIBA Venture Partners clients’ expertise covers diverse industries – financial services, energy, manufacturing, retail, media, FMCG – and leverages on the unparalleled combination of strategic consulting, access to leading innovation hubs and a growing curated portfolio of deep-tech startups.Learn more atbibavp.com.