While on site at the 2025 RSA Conference, a panel of 10 CISO judges evaluated pitches from emerging cybersecurity companies in search of stand-out solutions – Congratulations to finalists Dropzone AI and RapidFort
BALTIMORE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Hosted by LaunchTech Communications, a CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) resource specializing in PR and AR services for the cybersecurity industry, the CyberShark Pitch Competition today announced the first two finalists to advance in the 2025 program.
The CyberShark Pitch Competition provides emerging cybersecurity companies with an opportunity to pitch their product and receive feedback from Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). During the in-person event held the week of RSA Conference, CISO judges from a variety of industries – including insurance, technology, food and beverage, pharmaceutical distribution, manufacturing, financial services, and more – voted to determine which presentation conveyed the most distinct value proposition and clear messaging.
“Not only did our exceptional panel of judges generously offer their time and deep cybersecurity expertise, but they also brought an incredibly meaningful level of enthusiasm to engage with the early-stage participants,” said Taylor Hadley, Vice President, LaunchTech Communications. “Their thoughtful post-pitch feedback ensured that each pitching company received immediate, actionable feedback on their messaging, positioning, and product-market fit in a supportive, low-pressure environment.”
Congratulations to the finalists!
2025 CyberShark Pitch Competition “Round 1” Finalists:
- Dropzone AI – Provides pre-trained autonomous AI SOC analysts that work tirelessly alongside human teams.
- RapidFort – Eliminates 95% of software vulnerabilities without code changes through its attack surface management platform and near-zero CVE images.
This round of the pitch event was particularly competitive, with each participating company demonstrating exceptional preparedness and exciting technological advancements. During the judging process, the CISO panel consistently commented on a few key elements of a strong pitch. These included: the value of delivering a clear problem statement, while avoiding FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt); addressing how the product integrates with other systems and how it fits into the broader cybersecurity landscape; and providing examples of how the product performs in real-world scenarios demonstrates measurable benefits.
«The CyberShark Pitch Competition exemplifies the community spirit of our CISO network,» said Dustin Sachs, Chief Technologist and Senior Director of Programs with the CyberRisk Collaborative. «By providing a platform for emerging companies to showcase their innovative solutions, we’re not just identifying potential game-changers, we’re actively investing in the future of cybersecurity. This program is a win-win; cybersecurity vendors gain invaluable feedback to inform their go to market strategy and exposure to potential word of mouth referrals, and our CISO community gains insight into breakthrough solutions and serve to potentially influence how these companies ultimately meet market needs.»
«We established this program to ensure our clients have the opportunity to validate their solutions and interact directly with industry decision makers,” said Wayne Schepens, Chief Cyber Market Analyst of CyberRisk Alliance. «CyberShark allows vendors to gather valuable input, identify champions, validate their messaging and test their solutions against others. For vendors, there is no better test than pitching industry CISOs in a competitive environment; and for buyers there is no better way for them to play a role in the direction of future innovation. We look forward to continuing this initiative while making it available to more and more practitioners and technology producers.”
A second opportunity to pitch CISO judges in person will take place during the week of Black Hat USA 2025, where two more finalists will advance in the CyberShark Pitch Competition. Those finalists, and the finalists from RSA Conference, will go head-to-head in the final round of the competition taking place virtually as part of a live broadcast in the fall of 2025. All 2,000+ members of CyberRisk Collaborative will be invited to participate as judges in the final round. More information about CyberShark can be found here.
For more information about LaunchTech Communications, visit https://golaunchtech.com/.
About CyberRisk Alliance (CRA)
CyberRisk Alliance provides business intelligence that helps the cybersecurity ecosystem connect, share knowledge, accelerate careers, and make smarter and faster decisions. Through our trusted information brands, network of experts, and more than 250 innovative annual events we provide cybersecurity professionals with actionable insights and act as a powerful extension of cybersecurity marketing teams. Our brands include SC Media, the Official Cybersecurity Summits, Security Weekly, InfoSec World, Identiverse, CyberRisk Collaborative, ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert, LaunchTech Communications, TECHEXPO Top Secret and CyberRisk TV. Learn more at www.cyberriskalliance.com.
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