February 27, 2025
A Night of Cybersecurity Innovation
On February 25th, Tampa Bay Wave’s fifth annual CyberTech|X Program concluded with an incredible pitch night at CAMLS that will truly go down in Wave history! Fifteen innovative companies showcased cutting-edge solutions to pressing cybersecurity challenges that impact everyone—from industry experts to everyday users.
The evening embodied everything that Tampa Bay Wave stands for: innovation, collaboration, and connection! These 15 forward-thinking companies have now completed their Tampa Bay Wave accelerator journey, equipped with the tools for tremendous success. Throughout the program, founders benefited from strategic mentorship connections, access to our curated investor network, introductions to critical ecosystem members in Tampa Bay, and the opportunity to develop valuable camaraderie with fellow entrepreneurs.
The electric atmosphere at the event highlighted Tampa Bay’s growing prominence as a cybersecurity hub, with each founder delivering a compelling pitch that captivated the audience and generated tremendous excitement about their future potential.
Star-Studded Expertise
The evening featured compelling insights from an impressive lineup of speakers, including keynote presenter Colonel Jarret Mathews, who shared valuable perspectives on the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Wave portfolio CEOs Corey White (Cyvatar) and Chris Rohe (GuardianSat) also took the stage, offering inspiration and strategic wisdom drawn from their own successful journeys through the Tampa Bay Wave ecosystem.
These industry leaders emphasized the critical importance of cybersecurity innovation in today’s increasingly connected world and reinforced Tampa Bay’s position as a fertile ground for technology startups.
Meet Our CyberTech|X Companies
This remarkable cohort presented solutions addressing some of today’s most urgent cybersecurity concerns:
ApiaryX (Jacksonville, FL)
ApiayX empowers families with AI-driven cybersecurity, gamified education, and real-time guidance to navigate the digital world safety.
Founder(s): Catherine Karow
Breacher (Orlando, FL)
Provides deepfake red teaming and awareness training to help organizations defend against emerging threats with knowledge.
Founder(s): Jason Thatcher
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Clox (San Francisco, CA)
AI platform that detects fraudulent documents, extracts insights, and enables streamlined workflows.
Founder(s): Praveen Mamidi
Cyntegra (London, U.K.)
Patented technology ensures rapid recovery from ransomware and advanced cyberattacks, minimizing disruption and cost.
Founder(s): Giles Watkins, Maria Vachino
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Fairo (Newton, MA)
SaaS platform offering expert Responsible AI consulting, delivering top-tier insights without hiring a consultant.
Founder(s): George Chamoun
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Gaming Zero Trust (Philadelphia, PA)
AI-powered platform centralizing cybersecurity policies, assessing risks, and automating policy implementation.
Founder(s): Erin Christ, Ronald Hurry
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Guardare Inc. (Clearwater, FL)
Advanced AI platform simplifying cybersecurity for resource-limited organizations, reducing risks with trusted frameworks.
Founder(s): Dane Fiore, Lars Letonoff
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HACKERverse.ai (Chicago, IL)
Marketplace simplifying the buying, selling, and evaluation of enterprise cybersecurity software.
Founder(s): Mariana Padilla
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Kriptos (Miramar, FL)
AI-driven platform providing data visibility, real-time insights, and risk management to enhance compliance and prevent data leakage.
Founder(s): Christian Torres, Alfonso Villalba Almeida
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LockDown Labs (Tampa, FL)
AI platform connecting security and development teams to fix application vulnerabilities in open-source and third-party libraries.
Founder(s): Zachary Perdomo, Ali Naqvi
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Mendara, Inc. (Tampa, FL)
Develops custom AI solutions to set a new standard for secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence.
Founder(s): Shoaib Shaikh, Alyssa Kennedy
Opsbeacon (New York, NY)
Builds an AI SOC Analyst, revolutionizing security operations with conversational, automated workflows.
Founder(s): Cihan Sahin, Charles Randall
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Smart Eye Technology (Bentonville, AR)
Secures digital environments with continuous biometric verification to prevent unauthorized access and insider threats.
Founder(s): Dexter Caffey
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Undaunted Development LLC (Arlington, VA)
Creates interactive visual tools to make coding faster and more intuitive for cybersecurity professionals and developers.
Founder(s): Mark Griffin
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Verisoul (Austin, TX)
Helps security teams detect fake accounts, bots, and fraudsters in real-time.
Founder(s): Henry LeGard, Raine Scott, Niel Ketkar
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The diverse range of innovations demonstrated the breadth and depth of talent that Tampa Bay Wave continues to attract through our specialized accelerator programs.
A Community for Life
While their formal program journey has ended, these visionaries have become permanent members of the Tampa Bay Wave ecosystem, where they’ll continue to receive support and resources as they scale their groundbreaking cybersecurity solutions.
Looking Forward
As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve in complexity and scale, the innovations presented at this year’s CyberTech|X Pitch Night represent crucial advances in our collective defense capabilities. Tampa Bay Wave remains committed to fostering these groundbreaking companies and supporting their growth journeys.
The success of the CyberTech|X program further cements Tampa Bay’s reputation as an emerging technology hub with particular strength in the cybersecurity sector—a trend that shows no signs of slowing as we move through 2025.
Supported by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, our program kicked off this week with an intensive, founder-focused experience here in Tampa Bay. Participants will receive industry-focused mentoring, training, and support leading up to our exciting Pitch Night on February 25th.
We’re grateful for the support of our key partners, including A-LIGN, EY, Bank of America, Cyber Florida, 360 Advanced, Potomac Law Group, and Thoropass, who help make this program possible.
For more information about Tampa Bay Wave and our programs, visit www.tampabaywave.org
