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Sep 30 - Oct 2, 2025 Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Startup Spotlight Competition

Wednesday, October 1 | 3:30 PM

MTCC, Toronto, Ontario

Keynote Hall (Hall F, Level 800)

The Black Hat Startup Spotlight Competition at SecTor 2025 is a pitch competition designed to showcase the best innovations in the cybersecurity industry.

Enter your startup today to gain visibility, connect with industry leaders and accelerate your growth. Finalists are offered the opportunity to win their way to Black Hat USA 2026.

SecTor 2025 Finalists

After reviewing submissions, our expert-led judging panel has selected four outstanding finalists for the SecTor Startup Spotlight Competition. These innovative companies will take the stage at SecTor 2025 to compete for the top honor. The Winner will compete in the Global Startup Spotlight Competition at Black Hat USA 2026!

Join us as SecTor proudly showcases the cutting edge of cybersecurity innovation and celebrates the brightest new stars in our industry!

About The Competition

Win your way to SecTor 2025 and Black Hat USA 2026

Create and submit your 5-minute video using the Form below, calling out your company’s competitive advantages of the product or solution and how it will help cybersecurity pros. Products and solutions can be in development, about to launch or in the recently launched phases.

Finalists Receive

  • One Turnkey Startup booth at SecTor 2025
  • One scheduled speaking session
  • One 30-minute call with an Omdia Cybersecurity Analyst

Key Dates

  • June 16: Competition Opens
  • August 18: Submissions Due and Competition Closes
  • September 3: Finalists Announced
  • October 1-2: Finalists Pitch LIVE at SecTor
  • August 2026: Winner Pitches LIVE at Black Hat USA in the Global Startup Spotlight Competition

Who Can Enter

Any startup company 5 years old or less with less than 50 employees is eligible to enter the competition.

Note: It is not necessary to be an Exhibitor at SecTor 2025 to enter the competition. There are no entry fees.

LEARN MORE about promoting your company as an Exhibitor at SecTor 2025

Submit your Entry

Submissions are now closed, thank you for your interest!

Competition Emcee

Francis Odum

Founder & CEO

Software Analyst Cyber Research

Francis Odum is a respected cybersecurity researcher and independent analyst whose insights reach over 80,000 security and technology professionals worldwide. After starting his career in AI/ML, he transitioned to cybersecurity and went on to establish one of the largest independent cyber research firms. Beyond his research, Francis is passionate about supporting startups and future innovators, making him a strong voice in both the cybersecurity and entrepreneurial communities.

Judges

Finalists will present their cutting edge product or service before our panel of judges and live audience in a 5-minute final pitch, followed by 5-minutes of Q&A from our judges.

Startup Spotlight Judges

Roy Firestein

Roy Firestein

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CEO

Autohost.ai

Roy Firestein is a strategist, seasoned hacker and expert in cyber security, business development and project management. He has a background in security, programming, research, management, marketing and sales with a unique ability to manage multi-disciplinary projects while navigating complex cyber challenges. Roy’s passion lies in Big Data and Machine Learning, especially when applied to cyber security. As a multi-linguist of technology-driven business, he speaks fluent geek, marketer, designer, salesperson and investor.

Matthew Martin

Matthew Martin

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Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer

Western Carolina University

Matthew Martin serves as Chief Information Security and Privacy Officer at Western Carolina University, bringing over 25 years of cybersecurity leadership experience to higher education. He previously held senior executive roles at Fortune 100 financial services companies, where he built and scaled security organizations protecting thousands of financial professionals and institutions.

Matt serves as a trusted advisor to venture capital firms, private equity groups, and technology startups, providing strategic cybersecurity guidance to emerging companies and investment portfolios.

A recognized international speaker and thought leader, Matt has presented at prestigious venues including Harvard University, Cambridge University, and BlackHat's AI Summit, with speaking engagements spanning four continents from Ghana to South Korea.

Helen Oakley

Helen Oakley

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Senior Director Software & AI Security

SAP

Helen Oakley, CISSP, GPCS, GSTRT, works at the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and software supply chains—where the rules are still being written. At SAP, she leads a global team of architects, security experts, and scientists, securing development and pipelines at scale. She created the first open-source AI SBOM generator for models on Hugging Face, bringing clarity to AI supply chains. A core contributor to OWASP’s Agentic AI Security guide, she maps how autonomous systems can be manipulated or hijacked. Helen also co-leads the AI SBOM initiative under CISA and is a Founding Partner of AISUF.org, shaping secure AI frameworks for critical infrastructure. Named one of the Top 20 Canadian Women in Cybersecurity, she co-founded LeadingCyberLadies.com to support the next wave of builders, breakers, and leaders.

Eldon Sprickerhoff

Eldon Sprickerhoff

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Strategic Advisor

Caledon Ventures

Eldon Sprickerhoff devotes significant time as a strategic advisor to infosec startups.

Eldon is best known as a founder of eSentire, a premier Managed Detection and Response infosecurity services company with global operations.

Ways to connect with Eldon:

Dave Unsworth

Dave Unsworth

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General Partner & Co-Founder

Information Venture Partners

David is a Co-Founder and General Partner of Information Venture Partners. Over the past 23 years David has led direct investments in a broad range of successful software ventures focused on B2B FinTech, GRC, Cybersecurity, and Mobile technology.

David currently serves on the boards of Cinchy, Coconut Software, Lydia.ai, Lendingfront, Wisedocs, Strike Graph, and is an observer at BigID Inc. David managed the investment and served as Chair of the Board for Verafin (acquired by Nasdaq), FX HedgePool (acquired by LMAX Group), Empyrean (Acquired by HG), Sensibill (acquired by Q2), eSentire (acquired by PE firm Warburg Pincus), Igloo Software Inc. (acquired by private equity firm Frontier Capital), p) and Viigo Inc. (acquired by Blackberry).

Prior to his career in venture capital David had a career in operational roles at Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”) focused on e-commerce strategy development, technology enabled financial services product development, technology project management and retail/commercial financial services. David also was an investor with RBC Venture Partners from 2001 through 2014 before forming Information Venture Partners.

David is active in the start-up community and has served as a mentor to participants in the Kauffman Fellowship, Holt accelerator programs, and serves on the Executive Board of the CVCA.

David earned an MBA from Queen’s University, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is also a graduate of the NVCA’s Venture Capital Institute and the Rotman SME Board Effectiveness Program. David is a graduate of Business Development Bank’s GP Academy program, affiliated with the Kauffman Fellowship.

NOTE: Judges must disclose any conflicts of interest with participating startups and will not evaluate companies where such conflicts exist. Each startup is scored according to the official competition criteria, with final rankings determined by the average of all eligible judges' evaluations.

Questions? Contact startup@blackhat.com