⚡ 125+ founders registered to our last Founder Initiative buyer pitch event.

Early-stage AI cybersecurity founders pitch their startups directly to enterprise CISOs and receive live buyer feedback.

For most founders, it's hard to get direct access to security leaders.

At this event, the CISOs are the judges.

Five startups will pitch their products live and receive feedback from leading enterprise security executives. The startups will be selected live during the event based on your solution statement.

Apply to pitch or attend and watch the pitches live.

Who Should Attend

This event is designed for:

• AI cybersecurity founders building security products
• Builders looking to understand enterprise security buying priorities

Please note that this event is intended for founders only.

Why Attend

🤝 Meet CISOs directly
Facilitated breakout rooms give founders the opportunity to meet enterprise security leaders and ask questions.

🚀 Pitch your startup
Five startups will be selected live by the CISOs to deliver a 90-second pitch.

🧠 Learn what CISOs actually want
Panelists will share their top cybersecurity priorities and challenges.

🔎 Identify real buyer pain points
Understand the security problems enterprise teams are actively trying to solve.

Featured CISOs

Apollo — CISO
Ralph Pyne
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-pyne-0b5b6b1/

IVP — CISO (ex-Atlassian, NerdWallet)
Bala Sathiamurthy
https://www.linkedin.com/in/balasathiamurthy/

Okta — Chief Security Officer, EMEA
Stephen McDermid
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmcdermid/

Cribl — CISO
Myke Lyons
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykelyons/

ADT — CISO
Tim Rains
https://www.linkedin.com/in/timrains/

How the Pitch Works

Five startups will be selected live by the CISOs during the event based on their company name and solution statement.

If selected, you will deliver:

• 90-second startup pitch
• 90-second feedback from the CISOs

At the end of the event, the CISOs will vote on the startup they would be most likely to buy from.

Agenda

9:00 AM — Arrival, breakfast, networking

9:30 AM — Buyer insights
CISOs share their top 3 security priorities

9:45 AM — Live startup pitches
5 startups pitch → CISOs provide feedback

10:10 AM — CISO vote for the most promising tool 🏆

10:15 AM — Breakout rooms
Each CISO hosts a small group discussion with founders

10:30 AM — Networking

11:00 AM — Event ends

Hosted By

Okta Ventures

Okta Ventures invests in companies building cutting-edge technologies across identity, security, and privacy.

Connect with:

Austin Arensberg — Head of Okta Ventures
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinarensberg/

David Lopez-Henriquez — Investor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lopez-henriquez-41a6b1a8/

The Founder Initiative

The Founder Initiative is a podcast and event community helping founders reach product-market fit, drive durable growth, and get funded faster.

We’re honored to partner with Okta Ventures to host this buyer pitch event.

Event Terms

By RSVPing for this event, you consent to allow event sponsors, hosts, and partners to contact you and use your registration information.

AI Cybersecurity Startup Pitch to CISOs