Google announced that the Google for Startups Growth Academy: Cybersecurity program now accepts applications from EU companies. The three-month program, announced last fall, will start in April and connect the finest of Google with the top European cybersecurity firms.
From seed level to Series A, the chosen companies will participate in workshops led by a combination of Google and industry professionals. They will receive specialized mentoring in strategy, sales, and partnerships — including from executives at VirusTotal and Mandiant, as well as other top European organizations — and network with other cybersecurity-focused business owners.
“Kudos to Google for launching this initiative, and hopefully, many companies will look to take advantage of what’s being offered. In the rush and pressure to get a product to market many startups may overlook cybersecurity requirements or think they can build security into their product/service at a later stage,” Brian Honan, CEO at BH Consulting, told Help Net Security.
“However, this approach time and time again has proven to be very risky. Not only does this make good business sense and also it ethically the right thing to do, but with governments introducing stringent cybersecurity and privacy regulations, such as the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective cybersecurity will be it will become a mandatory requirement for all products and services. Programs like Google’s will provide those startups with the resources, skills, and expertise they need to ensure security is built into their systems from the very beginning.”
“Some may criticize the program for focusing only on cybersecurity start-ups arguing that security is key to all businesses. However, I feel Google’s focus on cybersecurity startups is appropriate as we do need to ensure that the tools and services we rely on to protect our personal and business lives are themselves secure and reliable,” Honan concluded.
Program criteria
- Seed to Series A startups based in Europe but looking to scale internationally.
- Startups need to be focused on an element of cybersecurity, such as: prevention, protection, research, and/or threat analysis and threat sharing.
- Startups must have demonstrated traction (users, revenue).
- Startups must have a scalable product or service, with both a significant total addressable market and a defensible growth model.
You can get detailed information and apply here.