The ECCC Access 2 Market matchmaking event, organized jointly by The European Cybersecurity Competence Center (ECCC), the Agència de Ciberseguretat de Catalunya and the Instituto Nacional de Ciberseguridad de España (INCIBE) and promoted by the European Community Cybersecurity Project (ECCO ), will take place on May 23, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Hacking Village area of the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, in hall 1 of "recinte Fira Gran Via de l'Hospitalet". 

The goal is to enable a customized environment for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and corporate leaders to meet and connect with cybersecurity providers across Europe. The activity will serve to interact with other interest groups of the European cybersecurity community and participate in the exchange of information and ideas on the two predominant topics in cybersecurity today: health and infrastructures in cybersecurity.

In addition to excellent networking opportunities, the Access 2 Market will feature expert guests to delve into the day's two dedicated topics and share their insights through keynote addresses.

For European CISOs, business leaders and investors who want to discover trends in cybersecurity solutions and tools

The Access 2 Market matchmaking event is designed to address the needs and challenges CISOs face in their daily work. It's an opportunity to meet experts in the field and get introduced to the latest cybersecurity solutions and products. In addition, participants will be able to learn the newest tools available in the market to make informed cybersecurity decisions for their organizations. CISOs will have the opportunity to meet with peers and discuss healthcare and infrastructure products and solutions in cybersecurity, a priority area for today's CIOs.

For scalable European start-ups and large enterprises

Cybersecurity companies that have developed innovative solutions or products can apply to make a speech to present an idea (pitch) at this event. It's an opportunity to demonstrate expertise and share ideas with an audience of cybersecurity buyers and market participants (such as CISOs, integrators, and investors).

Pitch application process: 
• To be considered for making the pitch, the company must be previously  registered in the event: https://ciberseguretat.gencat.cat/ca/Activitats/access-2-market/
• Once the company have been registered to the event, it should provide a 13-slide pitch deck to illustrate it meets the selection criteria.
• The pitch presentations must be sent to Cybersecurity Agency of Catalonia through the following email ecosistema@ciberseguretat.cat before April 26th.
• According to the meeting the criteria, up to 10 companies will be selected to present their solutions and products at the event in Barcelona. 

Criteria for selecting cybersecurity providers to be included in the pitch deck

• Small and medium-sized companies based in Europe and a minimum of 51% of European capital in the ownership structure.
• Both product and service providers in the area of Critical Infrastructure: no resellers or integrators (but representatives of these categories are welcome to join the event).
• Description of the solution/product that matches the theme of the event.
• Example use case.
• List of main customers.
• List of certifications (if applicable).
• Residency information / data sovereignty: need to show where user data is stored.
• Security Practices: Outline how the company ensures the security of its infrastructure and implements security assessment.
• Integration Potential: Exposing the extent to which the company's solution can be integrated with IT frameworks and other cybersecurity products.
• Ease of Implementation: Explain how quickly the solution can be deployed and how many resources are required.
• Maintainability: Explain how many resources are needed to monitor the solution, how maintenance of the solution is implemented, and whether it requires hiring people or involving third parties in its maintenance.

Additional information to include in the application:

• Company size: in terms of number of staff (full-time equivalents / FTE).
• Annual billing: in euros or converted into euros.
• How long the company has been on the market.
• The selected companies will have a 5-minute pitch in front of a European audience and a jury that will allow them to present their project. The two companies with the best pitches, chosen by the jury, will be nominated to compete in ECSO's CISO Choice Award finals.

Presentation of the pitch

It must be done through an email before April 12 to the address ecosistema@ciberseguretat.cat, indicating the interest in making the pitch and attaching a pitch deck of 13 slides (pdf, size 1 MB ).

It is important that the application is convincing and concise.

Call for investors and integrators in cybersecurity

Attendance is open to anyone who has registered for the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress, this includes investors, industry experts or anyone interested in cybersecurity. Here you can register to access the Access 2 Market.

ECSO's CISO Choice Award

A jury of European CISOs will carefully evaluate the shortlisted companies' pitches and nominate the two best companies to take part in the ECSO CISO Choice Awards final event.

The finalists of the ECCC Access 2 Market series will come together to compete for the final prize and have the opportunity to meet with leading market players and buyers from Europe at the Awards Finals Event.

Special Women4Cyber Entrepreneurship Award and Women4Cyber Recognition Award

On the other hand, ECSO and the Women4Cyber Foundation have joined forces to recognize women leaders in the field of cybersecurity, as well as companies that are actively working to achieve gender equality. This collaborative effort aims to highlight the invaluable contributions of women in cybersecurity, while promoting and supporting organizations that prioritize diversity and gender balance.

Entrepreneurship Award (click here, for cybersecurity companies (co)founded by women and/or with at least 30% women on the board), and W4C Recognition Award (click here, for cybersecurity companies with at least 30% women working there, as well as being actively committed to increasing their numbers (ie diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives).