Google has already selected the 15 startups that will be part of the first edition of its cybersecurity training and mentoring program, Growth Academy: Cybersecurity. Of all of them, four are Spanish: BlackDice from Malaga, Nymiz from the Basque Country, Alice Biometrics from Galicia and Build38 from Catalonia.
This program, which starts in April, will allow the chosen startups to have access to tools, good practices and mentors from Google. Some resources with which the search engine wants these newly created companies to be able to advance in their development and work.
The program will also help the founders of the different startups to establish contacts with other cybersecurity entrepreneurs thanks to the different meetings that will take place in Europe throughout the year.
120 applications
A total of 120 startups have submitted to the call for this first edition, according to data provided by Google. The 15 chosen startups are from 8 different nationalities. According to the company, all of them are already making significant contributions, both in Europe and outside it, and in areas as diverse as the protection of health data to the reduction of cyberattacks against educators or the protection of the water supply chain. clean.
As regards Spanish startups, it develops software that verifies the identity of customers of digital platforms or services, while Nymiz offers AI-based personal data anonymization software that detects personal data in unstructured files and also in structured data and anonymizes or pseudonymises it reversibly or irreversibly.
The other two startups have part of their roots in Spain, but also in another country. Thus, BlackDice moves between Leeds (United Kingdom) and Malaga to provide enterprise-level cyber defense to telecommunications operators through Machine Learning tools and predictive technologies that identify patterns. For its part, Build38 is a German-Catalan company that provides mobile application protection solutions and services, which include artificial intelligence and the most powerful, easy and fastest to deliver application protection technology.
According to Royal Hansen, vice president of security at Google, “the companies we have selected for this program are particularly well positioned to benefit. In part, because many of them offer products and services designed to improve security on a large scale, with the help of artificial intelligence, which is a fundamental element in continuing to evolve and stay one step ahead of threats.”
It should also be noted that this year the Google Safety Engineering Center (GSEC) in Malaga will officially open. A center that, according to the company, has not only meant “an important investment” in Spain, but also “marks a turning point in global research on cybersecurity and malicious software.” This center will join the other two European centers that Google has, specialized in privacy and security engineering (GSEC Munich) and in content responsibility (GSEC Dublin).
