The cybersecurity industry vitally depends on innovation. Every day, our adversaries are working on new ways to attack, deceive, and exploit. In that same way, the security innovation that is needed to defend must move at the same pace and that innovation often comes into our industry through the startup ecosystem. Twenty years ago, we started the Innovation Sandbox (ISB) contest with the goal to further highlight and stimulate innovation in cybersecurity. No one could have imagined that ISB would grow into the institution that it is today: the anointer of the next generation of security technology. The contest has grown to receive roughly 150 applicants annually, forming an important source of innovation and ideation that has been essential in addressing ever-changing cybersecurity challenges. More than 750 investors, cybersecurity leaders, entrepreneurs, and members of the press join the packed audience to watch the ISB event live.

We couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of ISB than to announce that beginning in 2025, each of the Innovation Sandbox Top 10 Finalists will receive $5 million in Finalist-friendly investment from Crosspoint Capital Partners. We are committed to supporting and amplifying cybersecurity innovation, and ISB is where top innovative startups take the stage and introduce themselves to the decision makers of the industry. 

Over the course of the last 20 years, we have seen some incredible moments on the ISB stage. The products, companies, and entrepreneurs addressed vexing global cyber threats and gave us a sneak peek into the future of security. RSAC ISB Finalists and winners have gone on to achieve incredible milestones through growth with more than 90 acquisitions, five public company listings, and so much more. Leaders like Wiz, Imperva, SentinelOne, Talon Cyber Security, and Hidden Layer are all previous ISB Top 10 Finalists.

With this impactful investment for the ISB Top 10 Finalists, we expect to see that bar rise even higher for the decades to come. The level of the competition will increase and the spotlight on cybersecurity will only get brighter, the solutions more creative and more readily available in the market. That’s a big win for not only the security community, but also modern society, which is wholly dependent on connectivity and technology. The stakes are higher than ever, both for society and for our ISB applicants.

To learn more about this new initiative, visit the RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest page here. We look forward to seeing you all at the 20th Innovation Sandbox contest at RSA Conference 2025 on Monday, April 28! 

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Update: February 3, 2025

RSAC™ Innovation Sandbox: Updates to the SAFE Terms

Since launching the RSAC™ Innovation Sandbox (ISB) investment program in November 2024, we’ve received supportive feedback from the community. It’s been exciting to see so many founders, investors, and ecosystem partners engage with the program. On January 14, we opened the call for submissions for the 2025 Innovation Sandbox competition and as of today, we are tracking towards a record number of submissions. It’s shaping up to be an exciting 20th anniversary.

The goal of the investment program is to provide founder-friendly capital that accelerates innovation in the fight against the next generation of cybersecurity threats. Based on community input and our commitment to supporting founders, we’re making the following updates to the ISB SAFE terms:

• Capping the Discount at 20%

The SAFE discount tiers are now structured as follows:

• Fewer than 90 days: 5%
• At least 90 days but fewer than 180 days: 10%
• At least 180 days but fewer than 270 days: 15%
• Greater than 270 days: 20%

• Reducing the Cash-Out Amount on a Sale or Dissolution while the SAFE remains outstanding to 1x

For a full summary of the updated terms and to download the SAFE documents, visit: RSAC ISB SAFE Terms & Documents

We appreciate your feedback and look forward to continuing to support cybersecurity innovation!