The ECCC hosted its second Access-2-Finance Matchmaking Event, in Rennes

On 21 November, the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC) successfully hosted its second edition of the ECCC Access-2-Finance Matchmaking events in Rennes. This event served as a platform for highlighting some of Europe's most promising cybersecurity start-ups. The ECCC offered entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their innovative companies before potential investors and peers, contributing to meaningful connections and collaborations within the European cybersecurity ecosystem. A panel of expert judges meticulously evaluated the pitches, ultimately selecting Skyld AI and Zygon  as the two most promising start-ups. This event not only demonstrated the cutting-edge advancements within the European cybersecurity market, but also played an important role in boosting the growth and success of these emerging enterprises in the industry.

The French instalment of the European Cybersecurity Centre's (ECCC) Access-2-Finance Matchmaking Event, jointly organised by the French National Coordination Centre (NCC-FR), the Women4Cyber Foundation, Sopra Steria, Pole d’Excellence Cyber, Région Bretagne, and Klecha & Co., took place on 21 November in Rennes, France. This year's event featured a selected group of X promising European cybersecurity startups aspiring to propel their ventures to the next level. The event provided these startups a unique opportunity to directly showcase their solutions to potential investors and market stakeholders, including an expert Judging Panel specialised in investment and entrepreneurship.

After a fiercely competitive round of pitches, marked by European innovation and cyber-resilience, the Judging Panel, consisting of esteemed cybersecurity experts, including Chantal Caudron De Coquermont (DGA MI), Bertrand Blond (ComCyber), Olivier Mangeot (DGA), Stéphane Klecha (Klecha & co), Quentin Besnard (Tikehau), William Lecat (Auriga Cyber Venture), Daniel Gerges (Cyber Booster / Le pool), Olivier Guerin (ANSSI), a Women4Cyber representative, and an ECCO representative, undertook the formidable task of evaluating each pitch.

The ECCC is delighted to introduce the two of the most exceptional start-ups in Europe: Skyld and Zygon!

“At Skyld, we are incredibly honored to have been selected as the best pitch at the Access2Finance event in the European Cyber Week. Being selected to pitch among the best European startups fuels our team commitment to secure artificial systems. We are very thankful to our accelerators, Inria and UC. Berkeley, for their early trust and support. We are excited to continue making a positive impact on our AI-powered future.” Said Marie Paindavoine, Founder and CEO of Skyld AI.
 

"We are very grateful to the European Cybersecurity Centre (ECCC) and all those who co-organized the ECW for selecting Zygon among many promising projects. After several years in the tech industry in the US, we have been amazed at how rapidly Europe is building a strong cybersecurity industry almost from the ground up. SaaS Security is among the top issues that will need to be addressed in the coming years. At Zygon, we definitely want to become a global leader with European roots.” Stated Thomas Lejars, CEO of Zygon.

Besides taking part of inspired presentations, attendees had the opportunity engage in exquisite networking opportunities among industry players, potential buyers, and experts in their field.

We extend our best wishes to these startups as they prepare for the ECSO STARtup Award, which will take place in early 2024 in Bochum, Germany, on 21-22 March 2024.