New York City and Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP) have named 18 finalists for the city’s NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge.

The challenge is a key component of New York City Economic Development Corporation’s (NYCEDC) Cyber NYC initiative, a $100m public-private investment aimed at transforming NYC into a global leader of cybersecurity innovation and talent.

Structured support

The 18 finalists were chosen from 169 proposals received; 11 will compete for possible investment by JVP while seven finalists will receive an award of $10,000 from NYC to test their proposals in the city.

They will also have the opportunity to partner with NYC to deliver their solutions to local small businesses, and structured support to provide solutions into international markets.

“We recognise that making New York City a strong and fair city means ensuring technology is designed and delivered to meet the needs of all New Yorkers, including our sizable small business community,” said John Paul Farmer, chief technology officer, NYC

“The NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge is a great example of global partnership and innovation and using technology for good.”

To elevate awareness of the challenge and increase the number of quality applicants, the city established a consortium of international partners, including, Israeli venture capital firm, JVP, and government organisations from Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Berlin, Helsinki, London, and Paris.

“The NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge is a great example of global partnership and innovation and using technology for good”

As a result, the challenge attracted innovative cybersecurity companies from all over the world. Applicants addressed cyber needs such as application security, authentication, cloud security, end point and network security, privacy, and Internet of Things (IoT) security.

“It’s no secret that the threat of cyberattacks is one of the world’s most pressing challenges. “That is why New York City has set out to become the global leader for the cybersecurity industry,” added Ana Ariño, chief strategy officer, NYCEDC.

“The Cyber NYC Moonshot Challenge is a first of its kind public-private partnership that brings top cyber companies and talent to New York City. We’re proud of the incredible response to this competition from a diverse, innovative and international group of applicants, and are excited to support these companies in New York City’s vibrant cyber ecosystem.”

Seven finalists will receive an award of $10,000 from NYC to test their proposals in the city, and the opportunity to partner with it to deliver solutions to local small businesses, and international partner support to enter markets in Israel, Japan, South Korea, Berlin, Helsinki, London, and Paris:

• Think Cyber (UK): RedFlags software product applies behavioural and learning science theory to provide context-sensitive, just-in-time guidance – delivering secure behavioural change for its customers
• Cynch (Australia): cyber fitness platform provides business owners with continuous cyber risk prioritisation, plain language guidance and support when reducing risks, and bundled products and services to create a one-stop-shop for small business cybersecurity
• Inky (US): email protection gateway uses sophisticated AI, machine learning and computer vision algorithms to block nefarious phishing attacks
• Paladin (US): packages easy-to-use protection tools, interactive security awareness training, on-demand cyber expertise, and broad insurance coverage
• TwoSense AI (US): invisibly and continuously authenticates users by their behaviour, such as how they walk, type, carry their device, or interact with a screen
• Skout (US): cloud-native, streaming data analytics platform built to deliver effective and affordable cybersecurity products for SMBs through managed service providers
• Atakama (US): protects sensitive files using advanced threshold cryptography and by inextricably linking files stored in one location to more than one physical device.

11 finalists will be eligible for over $1m investment from JVP and acceptance into its inaugural Cyber NYC cybersecurity accelerator cohort, designed to help propel their growth and footprint in NYC:

• Akeyless (Israel): provides zero-trust, cloud-based solution to manage secrets and keys, allowing easier migration to cloud services, while preserving security levels and compliance
• Alpha Strike Labs: provides security assessment and penetration testing across different verticals and business sizes
• Cyglass (US): dark threat detection allows users to uncover, pinpoint, and respond to advanced cyber threats that have evaded traditional security controls
• Coronet (Israel): SMB security solution adopted by more than 3.5 million users, providing cloud services security, threat detection, access control, network and EP security at a click-of-a-button
• NeuraLegion (Israel): machine learning-based vulnerability detection that mirrors a human’s critical thinking when looking for vulnerabilities
• Nimesa Technology Pvt (India): rapid back-up and recovery of critical applications, servers or databases after catastrophic events such as a ransomware attack
• Perimeter 81 (Israel): zero-trust, network as a service, providing perimeter-based security at the end-point level
• Seald (France): complete solution to secure, track and control sensitive emails and documents exchanged inside and outside an organisation using end-2-end encryption
• Security Platform (South Korea): next-generation cybersecurity protection embedded into IoT devices
• Todyl (US): providing holistic cybersecurity solutions for SMBs, including zero-trust network connectivity, security orchestration, and response
• VU (Argentina): fraud prevention and identity protection with a seamless and user-friendly experience.

The NYCx Moonshot Challenge finalists will pitch their approach in New York City to city officials, undergo rigorous technical testing led by NYC Cyber Command (C3) and receive real feedback from small business users.

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