How these cybersecurity founders are tackling new threats
In a world increasingly reliant on technology, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. Malicious actors are constantly evolving their tactics —but AI has the potential to revolutionize cybersecurity defense. That's why we created the Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity program. Through this program, Google provides cybersecurity startups with the resources and mentorship they need to scale their solutions and innovate responsibly.
Here is a look at five members of the 2024 AI cohort who are shaping the future of cybersecurity globally. Applications for the 2025 cohort of the Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity program are open now — apply for the program before December 3, 2024
These companies represent a fraction of the incredible talent and innovation within the Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity program. We're incredibly inspired by founders who are using AI to build a safer world and proud to support them.
“The Google for Startups program has allowed us to ramp up our market engagement strategies, tripling our product usage and significantly broadening our customer base over the course of the year.” - Ksenia Iliuk, LetsData cofounder
LetsData (USA/Ukraine): Fighting misinformation with AI
Ksenia Iliuk and Andriy Kusyy cofounded LetsData to combat the growing threat of misinformation, particularly in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine. The founders have shown great resilience in the face of this adversity, and they’ve also been announced as recipients of the Ukraine Support Fund. Their AI-powered platform analyzes millions of media publications and social media posts, detecting early signs of information operations. With support from Google mentors, LetsData is using Vertex AI to power their product and scale their impact.
“We are at a similar stage to all the participants [on the Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity], which is very helpful when discussing the problems some of us have already gone through. On top of that we have had the chance to meet some potential business partners.” - Sara Sebti, ShareID founder
ShareID (France): Building trust with AI-powered identity verification
With increasing online transactions and digital identities, verifying who is on the other end of a connection is crucial. Cofounded by Sara Sebti and Sawsen Rezig, ShareID provides a unique authentication-as-a-service solution that uses AI to digitally verify government-issued IDs in real time. They already count France’s Ministry of the Interior as a major client after providing their ID authentication solution for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. This collaboration with the Gendarmerie Nationale saw ShareID streamline identity checks for 12 million attendees while respecting privacy. ShareID has benefitted from the Google for Startups Cloud Program to scale their secure ID verification offering and help make identification seamless and safe.
“AI is trendy, but specifically in cybersecurity we see potential because there are lots of skills required but not so many skilled people in the market. Fortunately, AI can compensate for that by enabling companies to scale up, be more efficient and productive.” - Sebastian Cesario, Bfore.AI cofounder
Bfore.AI (France / Argentina): Staying ahead of the threat with predictive AI
Led by Sebastian Cesario, Luigi Lenguito and Luciano Allegro , Bfore.AI focuses on preemptive cybersecurity, utilizing AI to predict and block threats before they can cause harm. Their technology analyzes vast amounts of data to identify patterns and anomalies, predicting threats to domains and digital assets. BforeAI autonomously map malicious infrastructure, analyze datasets and detect anomalies. Their partnership with Google's Web Risk API helps disrupt attacks before victims are made.
“Cybersecurity has a very difficult and complex sales process. What we are getting out of the [Google for Startups] program is the connection with great mentors that can help us scale globally.” Jorge Monteiro, Ethiack CEO and confounder
Ethiack (Portugal): Hacking ethically using AI-driven security
Founded by André Baptista and Jorge Monteiro, Ethiack combines AI-powered automated penetration testing with elite ethical hackers to provide continuous and accurate security testing. Ethiack's infrastructure is built on Google Cloud Platform (GCP), taking advantage of Kubernetes and other cloud services to scale up their AI capabilities.
“Our vision is to contribute to the evolution of cybersecurity and AI for the benefit of humanity. Through our technology, we enhance secure and ethical AI adoption among our customers. Our impact is felt within the cybersecurity and compliance teams of each customer, enabling them to improve their data protection and compliance strategies.” -Alfonso Villalba, Kriptos cofounder
Kriptos (USA/Ecuador): Providing visibility into sensitive data
AI-powered document analysis software Kriptos automatically analyzes, classifies and labels documents to prevent data leakage, strengthen cybersecurity strategies and achieve regulatory compliance. Started by Alfonso Villalba and Christian Torres, Kriptos has thrived with hands-on support from the Google for Startups Founders Fund and the Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity program.
Applications for the 2025 cohort of the Google for Startups Growth Academy: AI for Cybersecurity program are open through December 3, 2024.
