Swisscom Unwraps StartUp Challenge 2021

Effective immediately, start-ups and research teams that ensure more security in the networked world with their solutions can apply for the Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2021.

The winner can look forward to an exploration programme in Switzerland and—with some luck—even in Silicon Valley. In addition, the five winners will be given the chance for business cooperation and an investment by Swisscom Ventures.

The number of attacks on network infrastructure, IT systems and the data or information of companies and private individuals is growing daily. The change of many employees to a home office due in particular to the pandemic gave cyber criminals a welcome new target.

The following applies to Swisscom, but also to its corporate customers: If you want to defend yourself against such attacks, you must be ready at all times and be one step ahead of the attackers.

Therefore, with the ninth Swisscom StartUp Challenge, Swisscom is looking for the most innovative cyber security solutions from start-ups and research teams. Anyone who has developed a prototype, product or solution that recognises and defends against security risks faster or helps organisation to sensitise employees, can apply immediately.

Ten young companies will be selected from the incoming applications, and these will be invited to a pitch in September 2021. At the end, the expert jury in cooperation with Venturelab will select five winners, who will be given the opportunity to further develop their prototypes or solutions with cyber security experts and the Swisscom security community, as part of an exploration programme in Switzerland or Silicon Valley.

In addition, the winners have a chance at an investment or collaboration with Swisscom. The registration deadline for the StartUp Challenge 2021 is 4 July 2021.