Cyber Innovate’s End-of-Year Showcase ✨

The Cyber Innovate End-of-Year Showcase marked a significant milestone for our 2025 cohort—bringing together students, mentors, industry partners, and academic staff to celebrate the culmination of ten months of problem identification, entrepreneurial exploration, product development, and personal growth.

Held in front of a packed audience, the event offered each student team the opportunity to present the cybersecurity start-up opportunity they had developed during the programme—turning ideas into potential ventures focused on solving real-world problems.

From Concept to Venture

Throughout the year, students worked intensively to identify critical cybersecurity challenges, build innovative solutions, and develop commercially viable business models. The Showcase offered a compelling window into that journey—from the initial spark of an idea to working prototypes and validated value propositions.

The ventures on display spanned a wide range of sectors and technologies, including:

• AI-driven incident response tools
• Secure-by-design architecture solutions
• Personnel security for high-risk industries
• Cybersecurity consultancy for regulators
• Security Operations Centre focused on Operational Technology
• Digital probate platform
• Secure access identification system

What connected them all was a shared commitment to tackling real-world problems with creativity, rigour, and purpose.

A Celebration of Talent and Teamwork

The Showcase was more than a series of pitches—it was a celebration of everything our students have achieved both individually and as a cohort. Many had no prior experience in entrepreneurship at the start of the programme. By the end, they were confidently articulating their vision, engaging with stakeholders, and exploring routes to funding and further development.

Family members, friends, and mentors joined industry guests in cheering them on, offering feedback, and making valuable new connections. The atmosphere was one of genuine support, pride, and anticipation for what’s next.

What Comes Next?

For many of our graduates, this event was just the beginning. Several teams are now continuing to develop their businesses beyond the programme—joining accelerators, pursuing pilot partnerships, and exploring and securing investment. Others are deepening their research or completing a follow-on MSc in order to further refine their concepts and expand their skill sets.

What’s clear is that the Showcase was not the final step, but a launchpad.

Cyber Innovate is supported under Innovators’ Initiative Programme, and co-funded by the Government of Ireland and European Union through the Southern, Eastern & Midland Regional Programme 2021-2027.