San Francisco, CA – – RSA Conference™, the world’s leading information security conferences and expositions, today announced that submissions for the 20th annual RSAC Innovation Sandbox and fifth annual Launch Pad contests are now open.
Since 2005, the most promising young companies in cybersecurity have taken the RSAC™ Innovation Sandbox (ISB) contest stage to compete for the title of “Most Innovative Startup.” The contest is widely recognized as a springboard for startups, and since its inception, companies named as Top 10 Finalists have collectively raised over $16.4 billion* in investments and been involved in over 90 merger and acquisition transactions over the past 19 years. Recently, 2021 ISB Finalist Wiz acquired 2023 ISB Finalist Dazz while 2022 ISB Winner Talon Cyber Security was acquired by Palo Alto Networks. More than 190 companies have participated in the contest; previous finalists have included Imperva, SentinelOne, Axonius, Wiz, HiddenLayer, and 2024’s winner, Reality Defender.
Qualifying startups interested in participating in the RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest are invited to submit entries online with a deadline of 8 p.m. PT on Friday, February 14, 2025. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced in early April. Terms and conditions can be found here.
“The Innovation Sandbox contest is a fantastic event and terrific driver for bringing new technology to market — and for entrepreneurs it’s an opportunity to present to the ideal audience,” said Paul Kocher, RSAC ISB Judge, Investor, Independent Researcher and Marconi Prize winner. “I’ve served as a judge for most of the contest’s 20 years, and have seen first-hand how it raises Finalists’ profiles, helping start-ups build enthusiasm with customers, investors, and new hires. Although the strong field of applicants makes the selection process challenging, I appreciate the Conference and judges’ commitment to ensuring the neutrality and independence of the evaluation and selection process.”
To usher in the 20th anniversary, RSA Conference recently announced a new investment program. For the first time, each of the Top 10 Finalists will be awarded a $5M investment to aid their drive of cybersecurity innovation. More details about the new program can be found here.
For earlier stage companies that are not quite ready for the Innovation Sandbox stage, RSAC Launch Pad will be returning for the fifth year to the innovation lineup. Launch Pad is an engaging, high-energy session with innovators pitching bold ideas to a highly coveted panel of venture capitalists for strategy, advice, and community awareness. Details and criteria can be found here. Submissions run through Friday, February 14, 2025 with Finalists presenting at Conference on Monday, April 28, 2025.
RSA Conference 2025 will include a variety of innovation programs, including the RSAC Early Stage Expo, which offers a platform for 68 promising, privately-held startups under five-years old with less than $5 million in revenue. RSAC Next Stage, which debuted in 2024, returns in 2025 and features up to 10 additional rapidly growing startups offering new innovative technologies in the market as an extension from RSAC Early Stage Expo. Next Stage serves as a steppingstone for startup exhibitors before graduating to the exhibitor floor.
A summary of the criteria to compete in RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest include:
- The product was launched in the market between December 1, 2023, and February 14, 2025
- The product addresses an identified problem in the cybersecurity marketplace
- The product takes an original and sound approach to solving a problem and has the potential to make a significant impact on cybersecurity
- The product is validated through a client’s beta testing or purchase of product
- The product can be demonstrated live during the RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest
- The company has a management team with a track record of successfully delivering products to market
- The company is privately held, with less than $5M in revenue in 2024 or Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) under $5M
After the submission period ends on Friday, February 14 at 8 p.m. PT:
- Entries will be reviewed and ranked by a global panel of judges that include successful entrepreneurs, investment professionals, CISOs, and other outstanding industry experts
- The Top 10 Finalists will be notified in mid-March 2025, receive RSAC ISB SAFE (learn more), and invited to present and pitch to a panel of expert judges on Monday, April 28, 2025
- The Top 10 Finalists will be recognized on the RSA Conference website with company and product profiles and will be promoted in other RSA Conference public relations efforts.
- Top 10 Finalists will also be invited to become a member of the RSAC ISB Founder’s Circle.
- Winner receives a kiosk in the Early Stage Expo and a Briefing Center spot during the Conference.
* numbers according to Crunchbase as of December 31, 2024
To stay up to date on the latest information about RSA Conference 2025, taking place in San Francisco from April 28 – May 1, please visit https://www.rsaconference.com/usa.
About RSA Conference
RSA Conference™ is the premier series of global events and year-round learning for the cybersecurity community. RSAC is where the security industry converges to discuss current and future concerns and have access to the experts, unbiased content and ideas that help enable individuals and companies advance their cybersecurity posture and build stronger and smarter teams. Both in-person and online, RSAC brings the cybersecurity industry together and empowers the collective “we” to stand against cyberthreats around the world. RSAC is the ultimate marketplace for the latest technologies and hands-on educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover how to make their companies more secure while showcasing the most enterprising, influential and thought-provoking thinkers and leaders in cybersecurity today. For the most up-to-date news pertaining to the cybersecurity industry visit www.rsaconference.com. Where the world talks security.
Contact
Ben Waring
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RSA Conference
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