CrowdStrike (NASDAQ: CRWD) has unveiled the expansion of its Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator program in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and NVIDIA, aiming to nurture the next wave of groundbreaking cloud security and artificial intelligence (AI) startups. This initiative, announced at the Fal.Con 2024 event on September 16, 2024, targets disruptive cybersecurity innovators across the U.S. and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). The program offers comprehensive mentorship, technical expertise, funding opportunities, and go-to-market support.
Key Details
The Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator, now in its second year, is designed to empower startups by providing essential resources from industry leaders AWS, CrowdStrike, and NVIDIA. The eight-week program is set to run from September 16, 2024, to January 10, 2025, with selected participants benefiting from:
Mentorship: Direct guidance from executives and industry experts at AWS, CrowdStrike, and NVIDIA.
Funding: Opportunities to pitch for investment, including the potential to receive backing from the CrowdStrike Falcon® Fund.
Technical Expertise: Access to NVIDIA's Inception program, offering resources like AI technologies, hardware, and software to assist startups in the product development lifecycle.
AWS Credits: Up to $25,000 in AWS Activate credits to support startups' cloud infrastructure needs.
Networking: Exclusive access to global investors and enablement sessions, helping startups build connections within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Demo Day and Further Opportunities
Upon completing the program, startups will have the chance to showcase their innovations at an in-person Demo Day, hosted at the AWS Startup Loft in San Francisco during the RSA Conference in April 2025. High-performing startups may secure additional funding and strategic partnerships to accelerate their growth and expand their market reach.
Program Impact and Vision
According to Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike, the Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator was created to foster innovation and support early-stage startups in tackling the most pressing security challenges of today and tomorrow. Last year’s participants collectively raised over $150 million from leading venture capital firms after completing the program. The inclusion of NVIDIA this year is expected to further elevate the technical capabilities and AI-driven solutions that participants can develop.
Bartley Richardson, director of cybersecurity engineering at NVIDIA, highlighted the significance of AI and accelerated computing resources in helping startups address complex security issues, underscoring the program’s goal of equipping innovators with the tools needed to revolutionize the cybersecurity landscape.
CrowdStrike's Ecosystem and Broader Goals
The Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator is part of CrowdStrike’s broader mission to cultivate a global ecosystem of security leaders. Through the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, the company supports early-stage startups with both capital and technical integrations with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform. This strategy enhances CrowdStrike’s ability to deliver cutting-edge third-party capabilities to its customers, while simultaneously fostering the growth of emerging cybersecurity solutions.
The program exemplifies CrowdStrike’s commitment to supporting disruptive technologies that redefine modern security, leveraging the power of AI, cloud-native architectures, and real-time threat intelligence to stop breaches and defend enterprise data.
Key Details
The Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator, now in its second year, is designed to empower startups by providing essential resources from industry leaders AWS, CrowdStrike, and NVIDIA. The eight-week program is set to run from September 16, 2024, to January 10, 2025, with selected participants benefiting from:
Mentorship: Direct guidance from executives and industry experts at AWS, CrowdStrike, and NVIDIA.
Funding: Opportunities to pitch for investment, including the potential to receive backing from the CrowdStrike Falcon® Fund.
Technical Expertise: Access to NVIDIA's Inception program, offering resources like AI technologies, hardware, and software to assist startups in the product development lifecycle.
AWS Credits: Up to $25,000 in AWS Activate credits to support startups' cloud infrastructure needs.
Networking: Exclusive access to global investors and enablement sessions, helping startups build connections within the cybersecurity ecosystem.
Demo Day and Further Opportunities
Upon completing the program, startups will have the chance to showcase their innovations at an in-person Demo Day, hosted at the AWS Startup Loft in San Francisco during the RSA Conference in April 2025. High-performing startups may secure additional funding and strategic partnerships to accelerate their growth and expand their market reach.
Program Impact and Vision
According to Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike, the Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator was created to foster innovation and support early-stage startups in tackling the most pressing security challenges of today and tomorrow. Last year’s participants collectively raised over $150 million from leading venture capital firms after completing the program. The inclusion of NVIDIA this year is expected to further elevate the technical capabilities and AI-driven solutions that participants can develop.
Bartley Richardson, director of cybersecurity engineering at NVIDIA, highlighted the significance of AI and accelerated computing resources in helping startups address complex security issues, underscoring the program’s goal of equipping innovators with the tools needed to revolutionize the cybersecurity landscape.
CrowdStrike's Ecosystem and Broader Goals
The Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator is part of CrowdStrike’s broader mission to cultivate a global ecosystem of security leaders. Through the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, the company supports early-stage startups with both capital and technical integrations with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform. This strategy enhances CrowdStrike’s ability to deliver cutting-edge third-party capabilities to its customers, while simultaneously fostering the growth of emerging cybersecurity solutions.
The program exemplifies CrowdStrike’s commitment to supporting disruptive technologies that redefine modern security, leveraging the power of AI, cloud-native architectures, and real-time threat intelligence to stop breaches and defend enterprise data.