The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Helps Launch New Startups

The CCI Accelerator (CCI+A) program is a jam-packed, five-month innovation program that’s fueling cybersecurity entrepreneurship across Virginia. It’s teaching professors and startups what it takes to bring technology to market, including how to pitch to a panel of investors and industry leaders.

“Supporting cybersecurity startups and bringing ideas out of universities and into the marketplace are an essential part of the CCI’s mission,” said Luiz DaSilva, Commonwealth Cyber Initiative (CCI) executive director. “We’re excited to help these startups reach their milestones and create new opportunities and jobs in the commonwealth.”

The program began at George Mason University and has expanded statewide. It’s co-funded by the CCI Northern Virginia Node and the CCI Hub.

"Since its launch at George Mason University in 2022, CCI+A has accelerated 34 technologies from across Virginia," said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI Northern Virginia Node director. "Each year we've seen the teams increase their customer engagement and elevate their competitive pitch performance. It's exciting to see several entities undergo acquisition and see the impact of the program on Virginia economic development."

CCI+A works on two tracks – the CATAPULT Fund supports teams emerging from Virginia public research universities; the ASCEND Fund focuses on startup teams collaborating with faculty subject matter experts. The teams receive up to $75,000 to help them commercialize their technology.

CCI funded 10 projects this year. On Oct. 16, teams from the CATAPULT and ASCEND tracks pitched their startup to a panel of investors and industry leaders. One team from each track won, receiving an additional $5,000.

• The CATAPULT winning team is DeepScan, led by Rui Ning, an assistant professor in computer science at Old Dominion University. The team also includes Maia Lin and Yao Wang, both from ODU.
• The ASCEND winning team is Glacier21, a startup led by CEO Ren McEachern, a former FBI agent. Team members include Robert Appleton, Mike Borowski, Neil Alexander, along with Mason professor Foteini Baldimsti.

The CCI+A program is coordinated by Gisele Stolz, senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation at Mason.

Meet the Winners

DeepScan

While artificial intelligence is fast becoming a requirement on our smartphones and other devices, security is lagging, said Ning, team lead of DeepScan. Hidden triggers can hijack behavior, and many apps ship models that are easy to tamper with. DeepScan promises to protect on-device AI without slowing down performance, he said.

First-time winner Ning is a veteran of CCI-A and put what he learned from a past program to good use.

“The program taught me how to communicate technical ideas in a way that connects with broader audiences,” Ning said. “I’ve always been curious about entrepreneurship because it feels like a natural way to translate research into something that can make a difference.

“For other researchers, I’d say it’s worth exploring even if it feels new. Think of it as another path to extend our impact beyond papers and grants.”

Glacier21

Glacier21 is focusing on combating illicit cryptocurrency activities. The platform integrates data from such sources as social media, data leaks, and the deep/dark web to uncover complex connections between crypto wallets, businesses, and individuals.

CCI+A helped the team with execution, McEachern said. “When we were lucky enough to be selected into the CCI+A program, it didn't just open up some resources; it opened up access to people and vast networks that totally changed our strategy and our thinking,” he said.

“We also learned not to be afraid to pivot, how to listen to the voice of the customer, and how critical all these little elements are. At the end of the day, it's the execution that matters and that's what the program helped us with the most.”

Inspiring Future Entrepreneurs

Foteini Baldimsti, a computer science associate professor at Mason, worked with Glacier21, providing technical expertise. She also found inspiration to become an entrepreneur.

“It's very nice to see how your academic work can help a start-up and give technical knowledge,” Baldimsti said. “But I think it's also very interesting as an academic to learn from this project and from the CCI+A program about how you can bring your own ideas and how you can participate in one of the next cohorts and be on the other side as the founder of the company. I think this experience has been very, very valuable.”

CONTACT

Michele McDonald