ECSO Cyber Investors Days 2025 Showcases Europe's Top Cybersecurity Start-Ups

On 2 October, the ECSO Cyber Investor Days 2025 Dutch edition was held at the HSD Campus during Cyber Security Week in The Hague. Ten of Europe’s leading cybersecurity start-ups had the opportunity to present their cutting-edge solutions to a distinguished panel of expert judges. Following these presentations, two stand-out start-ups, SignPath GmbH and Imperum were nominated for the ECSO STARtup Award 2026, setting the stage for further competition at the European level. 

The event, part of HSD’s Access to Capital proposition, was co-organised by ECSO, CyberHive, Women4Cyber, Accenture, InnovationQuarter, the City of The Hague, TIN Capital, and Security Delta (HSD). This collaboration provided cybersecurity entrepreneurs a vital platform to meet and network with investors, alongside matchmaking opportunities with leading cybersecurity firms from across Europe and beyond. 

Pioneering Cybersecurity Solutions 

The featured start-ups included AuditMaster, HackedList.io, Imperum, Pentahub, Quantum Gateway Foundation, Reversense, Secrets Vault, SignPath GmbH, Talsec, and Ver.iD. These innovative businesses pitched their cybersecurity solutions to an expert panel, hoping to secure funding and partnerships that could drive them to the next stage of development. 

Access to Capital 

Joris den Bruinen, general director of Security Delta (HSD), emphasised the significance of the event: “By working closely with our co-organisers, we are strengthening international connections between start-ups, scale-ups, and investors at both the Dutch and European level. As part of HSD's Access to Capital initiative, these events are essential in opening up access to capital and business opportunities that enable companies to scale”.

The day was packed with insights and exchanges: Aernout Reijmer, Senior Director of Security and former CISO at ASML, and Anton Arts, Managing Partner at SET Ventures, delivered inspiring presentations. Participants joined targeted B2B meetings and a lively panel discussion on How to build a cybersecurity champion in Europe? The panel brought together leading experts, including Michael Lucassen (Managing Partner, TIN Capital), Martijn Neef (Policy Coordinator Cybersecurity, Ministry of Economic Affairs), Rogier Fischer (CEO, Hadrian), Jaya Baloo (COO/CSO), and Mahdi Abdulrazak (CEO, Dawnguard), driving an engaging debate on Europe’s cybersecurity future.

ECSO STARtup Award 2026 Finalists 

The Dutch edition of the ECSO Cyber Investor Days selected SignPath GmbH and Imperum as finalists to compete in the European Cybersecurity STARtup Award 2026, which will be held in Brussels early 2026. These start-ups will have the chance to pitch their solutions to a European jury and showcase their technologies to top investors, corporate leaders, and cybersecurity experts. 

The Judges Panel 

Today's jury was made of: 

• Suzanne Rijnbergen, Managing Director Security Accenture & Head of the jury

• Roel Reijnen, Partner at TIN Capital European Cybersecurity Investors

• Diego Cavalari Consolini, CISO Jacobs Douwe Egberts

• Lilian Knippenberg, CISO The Hague Municipality 

• Willi Mannheims, Managing Partner Ecapital Entrepreneurial Partners

• Marnix Vermeij, Investment Manager InnovationQuarter

A Hub for Cybersecurity in Europe 

The Cyber Investor Days were part of Cyber Security Week 2025, a key event held in The Hague, which also included the renowned ONE Conference at the World Forum. As the international city of Peace, Justice and Security,  The Hague plays a pivotal role in the European cybersecurity landscape. Home to institutions like Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), and supported by a dynamic network of businesses and agencies, The Hague is strengthening its role as a leading European cybersecurity hub.

The Security Delta (HSD) ecosystem, with its 300 public and private partners, serves as a core element of this thriving community, fostering collaboration and providing access to knowledge, talent, and capital for the next generation of cybersecurity innovators.