Three Takeaways
- Innovation is woven into the full RSAC Conference experience: RSAC™ Conference supports startups through Innovation Sandbox, Launch Pad, Early Stage Expo, and the Investor and Entrepreneur Track, creating a full ecosystem of visibility, mentorship, and access to capital.
- RSAC Innovation Sandbox has a proven track record of identifying major cybersecurity winners early: The blog highlights that Innovation Sandbox finalists have secured more than $50.1 billion in follow-on funding and that more than 100 have been acquired, showing the contest’s influence in surfacing companies that go on to shape the industry.
- RSAC gives founders rare access to the people and feedback that can accelerate growth: Because founders are in front of investors, buyers, enterprise leaders, and the broader security community all in one place, RSAC can help move startups from idea to product, and from product to company, faster than they could on their own.
Innovation is a defining theme of RSAC Conference that is embedded throughout the experience. Through programs such as RSAC™ Innovation Sandbox (ISB), RSAC™ Launch Pad, RSAC™ Early Stage Expo, and the Investor and Entrepreneur Track, RSAC creates a unique ecosystem where new ideas meet capital, mentorship, and global visibility.
At the center of this innovation ecosystem is the RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest, widely regarded as the premier startup competition in cybersecurity. Each year, a panel of prominent judges drawn from venture capital, large enterprises, and the cybersecurity community select from hundreds of submissions for the opportunity to present on the Innovation Sandbox stage during RSAC Conference. The three-minute pitches are lively, nail biting, and informative.
Does being on the stage help startups rise above the noise? Well, the results speak for themselves. Since the program’s inception, Innovation Sandbox Finalists have collectively secured more than $50.1 billion in follow-on investment and more than 100 have been acquired, demonstrating the program’s extraordinary track record in identifying companies that go on to shape the cybersecurity industry.
The contest consistently identifies emerging technology trends years before they become mainstream—from cloud security to identity protection, supply chain security, and AI-driven defense. Increasingly, the startups competing in the contest are tackling the challenges created by generative AI, agentic systems, and increasingly automated cyberthreats.
While Innovation Sandbox highlights companies that are already gaining traction, RSAC Launch Pad looks even earlier in the innovation lifecycle. In a format reminiscent of a “Shark Tank” pitch session, Launch Pad features three Finalists who pitch their beta product to a panel of experienced venture capitalists (VCs). The VCs provide real-time feedback and strategic guidance as to where the company should go from here. Attendees to the session feel like they get to be in the room when the VCs decide: “should I fund this solution?”
The value of Launch Pad is not only in identifying the next generation of cybersecurity startups but also in giving founders access to the network effects that RSAC uniquely provides. Founders on the Launch Pad stage gain visibility with investors, potential customers, and mentors. These are connections that can accelerate the transition from idea to product and from prototype to company.
Beyond these pitch competitions, RSAC continues to expand its support for emerging companies through the RSAC Early Stage Expo. Seventy-eight young startups are on hand to showcase their technologies directly to Conference attendees, including buyers, investors, or partners. For many startups, the Early Stage Expo serves as their first opportunity to engage with the global cybersecurity community at scale. RSAC™ 2026 will showcase more than 100 startup sand create one of the largest gatherings of cybersecurity entrepreneurs anywhere in the world.
Complementing these startup showcases is the Investor and Entrepreneur Track, which features founders, venture capitalists, corporate venture arms, and innovation leaders. Sessions in this track explore topics such as venture capital trends, market shifts, emerging technology categories, and the evolving relationship between startups and enterprise security teams. For founders navigating the complex path from seed funding to scale, these discussions provide both practical insight and strategic perspective.
Why it Matters
The convergence of tens of thousands of security professionals, technology leaders, government officials, investors, and researchers, all in one week, allows startups to receive immediate feedback from potential customers, partners, and investors.
For founders, this exposure can be transformative. For investors, it offers a front-row seat to the technologies that may define the next decade of cybersecurity. And for the broader community, it provides an invaluable window into where the industry is heading. RSAC’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs ensures that the cybersecurity community remains equipped to meet the challenges tomorrow’s threats bring.