JVP, NYC Reveal Finalists For Cybersecurity Contest With $1M Prize

Three Israeli startups were among the 10 companies announced as finalistsfor the NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge, a competition for industry experts to develop and deliver new, affordable, and scalable solutions to protect NY-based small and midsize businesses from cyberattacks.

The contest is run by Israel venture capital firm Jerusalem Venture Partners (JVP), along with New York’ Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (MOCTO), NYC Cyber Command (C3) and the New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). NYCx is a municipal program that seeks to transform urban spaces into hubs for tech collaboration and research.

The finalists are vying for a $1 million investment from JVP.

The cybersecurity competition attracted over 160 cybersecurity startups from 18 countries, all presenting solutions to help small businesses protect themselves against cyberattacks.

The finalists from Israel include zero-trust security management-as-a-service platform Akeyless, application security testing firm NeuraLegion, and software-defined secure network access solutions startup Perimeter 81

The other finalists are startups Cyglass and Todyl from the United States; Alpha Strike Labs from Germany; Nimesa Technology from India; Seald from France; Security Platform from South Korea; and VU from Argentina.

“We recognize 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,” City of New York chief technology officer John Paul Farmer told The Jerusalem Post, “The NYCx Cybersecurity Moonshot Challenge is a great example of global partnership and innovation, and using technology for good.”

In October 2018, the NYCEDC announced that JVP and Tel Aviv startup network SOSA would lead the establishment of a global cyber ecosystem in New York.

The city’s first international cybersecurity investment hub, HUB.NYC, which was established in SoHo as part of the City’s Cyber NYC initiative, will offer a place for all selected finalists.

Founded in 1993 by ex-Knesset member Erel Margalit, JVP has invested in more than 150 startups.