Connect: Security Pioneers – A competition uniting security startups with the media

It’s becoming a bit of a broken record: news of cybersecurity breaches and data leaks at public and private organizations around the globe. 

In fact, STAT News reported that last year was the worst year on record for data breaches in the healthcare space, with as many as 116 million people impacted in 2023. 

But at the forefront of keeping people and their information safe are cybersecurity professionals, cybersec firms, and startups. 

With VC funding for cybersecurity startups taking a hit last year — along with most other sectors — 2024 could see a rebound in the sector, certainly considering the demand from organizations looking to keep their data safe from hackers. 

With this in mind, Publicize, a PR firm for startups and more seasoned technology companies, is announcing Connect: Security Pioneers, a pitch competition designed for security and cybersecurity startups. 

The all-virtual event will take place on Thursday, January 18 from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm (ET). 

Unlike normal pitch competitions, where startups pitch their ventures to a panel of investors, Connect brings together a panel of distinguished judges from the journalism and media space. 

Judges for Connect: Security Pioneers include technology and security reporters for publications like Reuters, Newsweek, TechCrunch, Tech.eu, HackerNoon and others. 

Startups will have a chance to pitch for two minutes, followed by 2-3 minutes of feedback from the judges about their pitches and communications abilities. 

The event is designed to build stronger connections between startups and the media, and the organizers have hosted numerous virtual as well as in-person events in cities including Miami, Mexico City, Bogotá, Santiago, and more. 

Publicize’s Events Director, Salome Muriel, says of the event, “Connect is a fun place for startups to come and make connections with talented reporters who cover their industry. Reporters get a chance to check out some of the latest startups innovating in cybersecurity, and can also provide founders with valuable insights into what makes a story newsworthy and interesting to them as journalists.”

Connect: Security Pioneers is open to the public. For those interested in attending and watching the event, they can register via Eventbrite here. 
Muriel says that any startups interested in pitching at future connect events can reach out to info@publicize.co and mention “Connect” in the subject line.

Disclosure: This article mentions an Espacio affiliated company.