GSC announces the 5 most promising security start-ups in the world

Security technology start-ups from all over the world entered this year's competition. After tough judging rounds in Singapore, Munich and Washington DC the top-5 finalists were selected by independent judges from academia, government, industry and venture capital. They are now competing at our Grand Final on Nov 8th in London for the $500,000 grant award that is sponsored by TSWG of the U.S. Government.


The 5 Most Promising Security Start-ups in the World:

• Auxetix from England – creates an advanced material that protects individuals from explosions.
• Eyemarker from USA – scans user's eyes to assess their health.
• NoblePeak Vision from USA – detects and identifies objects in poorly illuminated environments.
• Psylock from Germany – identifies users via the rhythms of their keyboard typing behavior.
• XID Technology from Singapore – predicts and creates a three-dimensional model of a person’s face from a two-dimensional video image.

Join us in London on November 8th for the Grand Final of the Global Security Challenge to see these technologists present their ideas to the audience and our judging committee.

Comments about the GSC from MOD, Siemens and startups

We received many comments since the inception of the Global Security Challenge. Wanted to share a few opinions from government officials, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs about the GSC:

Lord Drayson, the U.K. Minister for Defence Procurement commented: “Promoting excellence and innovation is a process that thrives on competition. The high standard of exciting entries in today’s Global Security Challenge is proof that competition is often a vital catalyst in driving that process forward.” For the Minister's full speech at last year's GSC, click here.

Dr. Uwe Albrecht, Managing Partner of the Corporate Fund at Siemens Venture Capital said: “The Global Security Challenge offers a chance for entrepreneurs to overcome hurdles and find partners and customers.”

From the Start-Ups' Perspectives:
"Thanks for holding the contest. It is important to bring attention to solutions that can make all of us safer."

"Thank you for your feedback. Preparing our submission for the Global Security Challenge was a worthwhile exercise for us, even though we weren't successful"

What happened to last year's winner of the Global Security Challenge?

One Year on for Ingenia Technology

Ingenia Technology has experienced a phenomenal year since winning the 1st Global Security Challenge in 2006.

• This year Ingenia Technology qualified as a U.S. Government contractor and has received a contract from a Federal Law Enforcement agency with growing interest with other government agencies.


• In Europe, Ingenia has launched a partnership with Bayer Technology Services of Germany who will be a systems integrator for LSA into a number of verticals including their traditional pharmaceutical sector.


• Some of Europe’s major brands are now piloting or planning to pilot the technology within the coming months. Ingenia is now embarked on a growth strategy and planning for global expansion through partnerships.

What is Ingenia Technology?

The Laser Surface Authentication (LSA) technology developed by Ingenia is a new technology which mimics the biometric principle in humans, but applies it to inanimate objects such as documents, goods and packaging. Like human biometrics, the fingerprint is derived from naturally occurring microscopic randomness that is inherently present in virtually all surfaces. Human biometric technologies such as fingerprint recognition and iris scanning work on the principle that no two people have the same small scale detail in the shape of their fingertips or irises and that these naturally-occurring variations in detail can be used as a unique identifier for the individual. Naturally occurring randomness is an extremely attractive proposition for brand protection, anti-counterfeiting given that every item has a unique surface signature which can be recorded in a digital ‘fingerprint’ by the laser scanner.

An article from the GSC Team about closing security gaps

Germany: €123 million. EU: €1.4 billion. Closing Homeland Security Gaps: Priceless.

by Janeen Chupa and Simon Schneider

It started out simply enough – two graduate students with some free time and a desire to do good. What we ended up learning was a pretty substantial lesson; that European governments need to change their thinking when looking for innovation in security technologies to protect our airports, cities and borders.

Evolving Threats
Everyone understands that technologically the threat is diverging, becoming both more simplistic (eg roadside IEDs) and more technologically advanced (eg cyberattacks). And while a technological response is not a panacea it can help. In recent years, many of the gaps have been shared with the public as NATO, EU and even MI5 complained about the evolving technological advances of the threats they face.

Last November, the Director General of MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, illustrated these advancing threats in a speech, stating “today we see the use of home-made improvised explosive devices; tomorrow's threat may include the use of chemicals, bacteriological agents, radioactive materials and even nuclear technology.”

While governments aim to involve the private sector in the creation of advanced security technologies, entrepreneurs, often the truest innovators, are left aside. Not only is it a challenge to find security startups in Europe, the ones we met complain about large hurdles as they try to sell to government entities with long procurement cycles causing cash flow problems. They also face not having access to venture capital, especially in Europe, which hurts even more as they have to put in much more time and money in research than a web 2.0 startup.

So it seemed to us and everyone else that finding the developers and giving them money for research should solve the problem.

The European governments seemed to agree with that analysis as they earmarked large funds for security research. The German government announced it will spend additional €123 million on research in the coming years. While the EU also just allocated €1.4 billion funding for security research in technology solutions for civil protection, bio-security, protection against crime and terrorism in its EU Framework 7.

We originally thought that finding these technologies would be the hard part and if we could bring together the truly innovative with those who support such work, then these technologies would make it to market. So one year ago we initiated a business plan competition called the Global Security Challenge to bring attention to the best technologies by bringing together the innovators, venture capitalists and customers.

We assumed the disconnect would lie between scientists and policy makers and that finding the right innovators to fund would prove to be quite a challenge. It does take a lot of work and grass-root efforts, but they can be found.

Innovation Gaps
The actual problem is that there is a missing step between researching and implementing technological innovation. Infant ventures need as much focus and nurturing as researchers and yet there is a dearth of support. As business students we were stunned that market measures that typically bring about necessary advancements were not being used in homeland security market. This isn’t what we learned in the classroom, in particular when there was so much money to be made.

So what we’ve come to believe is that supporting entrepreneurs should play a critical role in any security technology policy, particularly as we see the scope of threats increasing.

The US has taken the first step in the right direction by creating a dedicated incubator for security technologies through the help of the NSA. In Europe there have been many calls by security leaders for a similar type of organization. Tom Enders, the former CEO of EADS acknowledges this gap when he said in speech at the European Defence Agency last year that, “We need a technology incubator to generate breakthrough approaches.”

Innovation is going to come from the entrepreneurs and no one can afford to wait for good ideas to make it through the maze that is the current European homeland security market – if they make it at all. Which leaves the question, how will Europe nurture its innovators?

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Simon Schneider and Janeen Chupa are MBA students at London Business School and founders of the Global Security Challenge, the biggest business plan competition in the world. Download this article in a PDF Format

How to Write a Business Plan? Tips from London Business School

One of the things that we've come to realize is that writing a business plan that will successfully garner the attention of venture capitalists is easier said than done. We see a ton of great business ideas but if those ideas can't clearly be articulated then they can be dead in the water.

So a tip from our judges is that startups must make sure the BP has structure and there is a clear understanding of its purpose. Here are a few good tips written by Dr Michael Hay, Professor of Management Practice at London Business School:

"Your business plan is a sales tool. It is essential that it looks good and reads well. Professional presentation is critical. Beyond this you should observe the following guidelines:

1. The text should be cogent, concise and clearly laid out;



2. Focus on key issues, avoid extraneous details. Knowing what to leave out is just as important as knowing what to include;



3. State clearly what makes your product different or better and exactly where you intend focusing. Trying to do too much is indicative of a poor understanding of what you could do best;



4. Formulate objectives that are unambiguous, consistent, credible and compatible with industry experience;



5. Show that you really understand how your target market operates, what your customers want, how you will distinctively meet these needs and on what basis you will compete successfully.



6. Display a clear understanding of your investor’s needs and interests;



7. Avoid complete infatuation with your product and how it will be produced;



8. Demonstrate that the team you have assembled has the balance and the track record to exploit the market opportunity as well as the determination to stick with the venture;



9. Openly address risks and problems, explaining how you intend dealing with them;



10. Ensure that the plan is intelligible and complete in itself, having no need of additional data or explanation. Think also about who could most compellingly sell your plan in a ten-minute oral presentation.

Finally, never lose sight of your audience. Remember that there may not be a single, homogeneous audience. Tailor your plan to meet the needs of your different audiences. Write your plan for a specific audience, not for yourself. "

Click here for the full document

New IT-Security Partner: Microsoft

Microsoft Parnership

We are pleased to announce that Microsoft decided to become a formal partner of the Global Security Challenge. We are excited about this development as we have already worked closely with Microsoft leaders in various parts of the world and this new partnership underscores Microsoft's commitment to the mission of the GSC.


Ed Gibson - Microsoft's Chief Security Advisor

One of our strongest advisors to the Global Security Challenge is Ed Gibson, who has supported us from our beginnings in 2006. Ed is the Chief Security Advisor of Microsoft Ltd in the UK. His primary role is to serve as an advisor to Microsoft’s customers, and the public, on the work Microsoft is doing to improve the security of its products. This role comes on the heels of his retirement from 20-year career as a Supervisory Special Agent with the FBI. During this period, Gibson was a recognized expert in investigating complex, international money laundering schemes, asset identification and confiscation, and intellectual property theft. From early 2000 to mid 2005, Mr Gibson was assigned to the FBI’s Legal Attache office, US Embassy in London, as an Assistant Legal Attaché. There, he was responsible for all FBI cyber, hitech, cyber-terrorism, and infrastructure investigations in the UK.

In a recent interview, Ed describes Microsoft's security strategy:
"As I always say, it’s about people, process and technology and at Microsoft our security strategy is very much aligned to these three areas. The threat landscape is continually evolving and challenges appear in the form of malware, inappropriate security policies and the regulatory environment. Our security efforts are therefore focussed on the area of partnerships, innovation and prescriptive guidance. Microsoft is working in partnership with Government and industry groups to thwart security threats."

(...for the full interview, click here)

...unearthing security technologies of tomorrow (London - Nov 8)

Global Security Challenge Conference - November 8

Be a part of the world’s largest competition aimed at finding the most innovative security technology startup in the world. This conference brings together senior government officials, business leaders, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs in an optimal business environment. Five technology startups will compete against each other at the Grand Final in London for $500K grant award and mentorship from Paladin Capital Group.

Some of Our Speakers:

• Sir Richard Dearlove - former Chief of British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6)
• Alastair MacWillson - Managing Partner of Global Security Practice, Accenture
• Jeff David - Deputy Director of TSWG, U.S. Department of Defense
• Stephen Bonner - Global Director of Information Risk Management, Barclays
• William Beer - European Security Practice Director, Symantec
• Ken Minihan - former Director of US National Security Agency (NSA)

Why Should You Attend?
Cutting edge technology start-ups from all over the world entered the Global Security Challenge 2007. About 200 delegates from industry, government, academia, venture capital and entrepreneurs will attend this day-long conference.

Tickets:
To book tickets, go to: www.globalsecuritychallenge.com/conference/registration.html

Top 15 security startups worldwide

Ahead of our anticipated announcement of the five finalists next Monday, we wanted to highlight again the 15 innovative technologies that qualified for the highly selective regional Semi-Finals of the Global Security Challenge competition 2007. Here they are, sorted by the industry sectors their technologies fall under:

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

• NoblePeak Vision (USA) – enabling the rapid detection and identification of people and objects at night without active illumination.


• Virtual Observer (Australia) - virtual camera coverage based on remote sensor activation on existing infrastructure

DETECTION / MITIGATION of EXPLOSIVES and CHEMICALS

• Aigis Blast Protection (UK) – dramatically minimizes damages of explosions through advanced materials


• Auxetix (UK) – fortifies protection against multiple explosions through helical-auxetic nets


• Laser Detect Systems (Israel) – recognizes explosives and chemicals from 10 meters distance


• Southern Innovation (Australia) – decreases cargo screening time by increasing the capture and the quality of information in a scan

BIOMETRICS

• EyeMarker (USA) – scans the eye to rapidly and non-invasively assess a person’s health.


• Psylock (Germany) – identifies users through biometric analysis of typing behavior


• XID Technology (Singapore) – face synthesis technology for real-time 3D prediction/replacement in a 2D video

IT-SECURITY

• Codenomicon (Finland) – defends against online attacks and malware through intelligent network servers


• iViZ (India) – demand penetration testing software based on artificial intelligence


• MagiQ (USA) – hardware-based quantum key distribution to protect data transported over fiber networks.


• Mica (USA) – disruptive encryption software combining asymmetric keys with unique relationship identifiers.


• Stealth Technology (USA) – privacy-preserving data mining software to enable information sharing between agencies or enterprises.

MOBILE SECURITY

• TenCube (Singapore) – comprehensive mobile security suite that allows users to disable/access their phone remotely

Human Factor at Heart of European Commission's Security Research

At the European Semi-Final of the GSC in Munich last week, we heard a fascinating speech from Christiane Bernard, from the Enterprise & Industry Directorate of the European Commission.

Mrs Bernard stressed the importance of the human factor in the interaction of technology, organisation and humans in security. Below is a summary of her important speech in her own words:

"Security technologies and policies accompanying them, raise many different ethical and legal concerns amongst the European citizens. The strength of these concerns directly influences public support and acceptance of both government policies and the security technologies themselves.

Many of the adopted new security measures for example in counter-terrorism are associated with the potential loss of privacy or infringement of liberty. Furthermore, the use of certain security technologies raises different ethical and legal concerns, many of which may relate to the invasion to privacy, reliability, social exclusion, feared damage to humans and environment and public regulation problems.
In a European context, divergent ethical, religious, historical and philosophical backgrounds can lead to a variety of approaches on ethical and legal questions. In research projects dealing with sensitive issues where ethics and justice meet security all relevant actors (lawyers, industry, data protection officers) must work together to achieve a fair and effective balance.

Therefore, the human factor is at the heart of Europe’s Security Research. In addition, specific actions are undertaken to provide insight and advice for security policy makers." (by Christiane Bernard, European Commission)

Tough selection process for GSC Judges

One of the pillars of the Global Security Challenge is to bring business leaders, scientists and government experts on one table to judge the many fantastic innovations that entered this year's GSC from all corners of the world. These impartial judges are instrumental in the GSC and often had very difficult times selecting their choices among the very high-quality entries in this year's Challenge.

The members of the GSC Judging Committees are leaders from venture capital funds, government, universities and industry:

• 3V SourceOne Capital
• Accenture
• BAE Systems
• Barclays
• Bosch
• BWI-IT (IBM, Siemens & German Armed Forces)
• CapVista
• London Business School
• Mississippi State University
• MITRE
• MOD Counter Terrorism Science & Technology Centre
• National Science Foundation
• National University of Singapore
• PegasusBridge Fund Management Limited
• Redshift Ventures
• SemCorp Industries
• Siemens Venture Capital
• Technical Support Working Group (US Department of Defense)
• UnternehmerTum (Technical University of Munich

Successful GSC event in Munich

Our European Semi-Final in Munich yesterday was very successful. After the keynote speech of Dr. Geiger - the former President of the Bundesnachrichtendienst - the five startups pitched to the audience and our distinguished panel of judges. Because of the high-quality of the entrants it was a tough job for the judges to select the 1st and 2nd place among these top European contestants. After 2 hours of deliberations and individual interviews with the entrepreneurs, they told the audience their decision - emphasizing again the difficulty of chosing the winners among these five high-quality innovative ideas.

The 1st place winner is Auxetix, from the UK. Their mitigation fabrics use a completely new kind of technology that provides enhanced multiple-event protection for windows by exploiting the unusual behaviour of the helical-auxetic system. The fabrics, which are composed of large numbers of thin high-strength fibres wrapped around elastomeric cores, can also be used to line military vehicles and aircraft, enhance body armours, in transportation crates, and for the protection of stored ordnance. The technology responds to a blast by expanding which allows a blast front to pass through the material slowing it down and reducing its capacity to kill or injure.

The 2nd place winner, Psylock provides a unique biometric technology that authenticates computer users securely on any computer, without requiring hardware or installation and with very precise recognition rates. Each user is authenticated by the specific way he or she types at a common computer keyboard. The analysis not only validates dependant parameters, like the speed and rhythm of typing which can vary depending on the circumstances, but also stable parameters of typing like left- or right-handedness, typical typing mistakes, correction methods and more. The result is calculated based on complex statistical models and artificial intelligence.