StartupSecure KASTEL
Cyber Security
in focus
Incubator for start-ups in the field of IT security with a regional and international reach.

About STARTUPSECURE KASTEL
More than an initiative
In order to identify bold and innovative business ideas in the field of cyber security and to awaken the founding spirit in students and scientists at an early stage of their development, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) launched the StartUpSecure program. On this basis, four start-up incubators were initiated at the three competence centers for IT security research in Darmstadt, Saarbrücken and Karlsruhe and at the Ruhr University in Bochum. The driving force behind this initiative in the science city of Karlsruhe are both the KASTEL competence center and the KIT-Gründerschmiede, one of the largest start-up centers in Germany.
This program aims to continuously support start-up projects in the IT-Security field from all over Germany and throughout their entire life cycle. We particularly focus on financing support, qualification measures and awareness-raising on the cybersecurity topics in the line with our network of partners, potential pilot customers and investors. In addition, we regularly organize events to strengthen the networking of our community and create a stage for relevant topics and engaged speakers.
WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE
Comprehensive know-how
Our vision for StartupSecure KASTEL is to be recognized as an information hub and meeting point for founders, international teams, partners, investors and networks on all aspects of cyber security. How do we want to achieve it?
We are aware that the today’s market expectations towards IT security products and services are high. Our 4-stage program was created for those who are interested in founding a company and for entreprenuers that want to scale their businss objectives sustainably. The start-up teams which qualify for this program can expect a solid support in terms of technology development and entreprenuership that is particularly crucial in the early stage of a start-up growth. Our strong network of university, industrial and institutional experts enable your company to tailor your product or service to the market needs and become an approved member in our StartUpSecure KASTEL community.

Networking
Become part of our community
Our community includes not only our supported start-ups but also all relevant stakeholders from industry, politics, research and society who deal with the following topics in their everyday professional life:
#Security #Privacy #ransomware #Kryptography #KI #IoT #Industrie 4.0 #VPN
Our informative events offer all guests the chance for exciting networking. Start-ups and relevant stakeholders also have the opportunity to get actively involved in our community as speakers or mentors in order to gain even more visibility.



















ORIENTATION
Do you have an innovative business idea in the field of IT-security but you are not sure whether founding a company is the right career path for you? Perhaps you have already founded a start-up and would like to learn more about the offer and the requirements of the StartUpSecure KASTEL program? We will help you to sharpen your business idea, to network with our community, and inform you about relevant topics and instruments from the field of entrepreneurship.
Initial consultation
The initial consultation is the first step for those interested in founding a company / start-ups who want to find out more about the StartUpSecure KASTEL program. In a relaxed conversation, you and our advisor will find out what you need to be accepted into the program. We will also help you sharpen your idea and give you individual tips.
YOUR FEEDBACK TO THE COMMUNITY
What topics from the fields of IT-security and entrepreneurship are you most interested in? Do you find our offers attractive? Write us your opinion and your ideas and we will be happy to take them into account when planning our events. It doesn’t matter whether you’re still studying, have already founded a start-up or are part of an institution. We are looking forward to your feedback.
FOCUS
How do I concretize my business idea? How can I focus on certain areas in order to be successful in a market? How do I maintain a clear overview? What opportunities do I have? Join us and boost your business plans sustainably.
POSTER PITCH
Are you currently researching on a topic in the field of IT security and privacy or a related topic? Do you want to present your research results on a stage? Regardless of whether it is basic or applied research. We have a solution for you. Let’s talk about it.
Speed-up-Secure
Would you like to concretise your business idea and be supported by experts? Then find out now about the Speed-up-Secure accelerator programme, which is jointly organised by the four StartUpSecure incubators.
FINANCING
Our finincing offer is a pure profit. Get in touch with the StartUpSeure Kastel team and and learn more about your possibilities.
funding advice
How do I finance my entrepreneurial project? How do I write a grant application? We provide information about the StartUpSecure KASTEL program in terms of financing, answer your queries and guide you successfully through the grant application process.
VC & investor matching
You need venture capital for your business idea? Together with KIT-Gründerschmiede, we connect you with venture capitalists from international corporate VC or national VC firms to regional family offices and local business angels.
SCALING
You founded a company – congratulations. But now the work really starts, because a good business idea and an innovative product are no guarantee for business success. Stay an active member of our StartUpSecure KASTEL community and participate in our events either as a mentor or a guest. It’s an investment in your development and a great opportunity to interact with other entrepreneurs and investors.
COMMUNITY CONGRESS
Once a year we organize the live event Community Congress for you and each time we focus on a different topic. In spring 2025 we will bring our community together for the fourth time. Stay tuned for the new topic!
take off secure
Once you have secured funding for your start-up project with StartUpSecure KASTEL, your next big challenge awaits you. How do I implement my research project? How do I find project partners for a pilot project? Who can provide me with answers to technological questions? And how do I keep my start-up going?
Blog Posts
News and Events
Here you will always find the latest blog posts about StartUpSecure KASTEL, with all the news, accelerator programs and competitions, as well as exciting events.
Successful start-ups – a strong community
Our start-ups
As a spin-off from the KIT, prenode focuses on the transfer of research results to build decentralized and robust AI systems for industrial applications. With prenode’s solution, scalable machine learning models can be created and managed on distributed systems with full control over your data.
The mission of asvin is to secure IoT infrastructures and their data and ensure protection. In addition to the management of cyber risks, the focus is primarily on the update management of devices, the fulfillment of legal restrictions and the active provision of patches and updates.
As a spin-off from the KIT, Aimino Tech is pursuing the goal of developing an automated machine learning toolkit for industrial applications. Based on their research results on robust AI systems, they are developing an AI-supported, automated campaign management tool.
A thread modeling software for the creation and management of threat assessment and remediation analysis for the automotive industry, in compliance with ISO 21434, pursues Primary Target. They automate and accelerate the software development process and minimize successful cyber risks.
Langlauf Security Automation’s solution enables automated security quality checks of self-developed and supplied software. Its technology enables fine-grained detection – right down to version-accurate identification of individual functions.
As a spin-off from Paderborn University, Devity is developing an identity management tool for the IIoT. It can be used to design trustworthy supply chains and avoid lengthy and expensive configurations with automated commissioning.
Xplizit Trust are pioneers in network security. Their Zero Trust technology software enables adaptive, identity-based, precise and decentralized network access. Their platform is based on state-of-the-art encryption, access control and proven security procedures.
NEON Information Security develops a solution for automated security incident and event management. With its VASE attack library, you are always up to date.
The KIT spin-off Validaitor is developing an all-in-one platform for the automated testing and validation of ML models, taking into account state-of-the-art AI safety techniques. They also enable compliance with the regulations of both the EU AI Act and ISO 42001.
The solution from uCore Systems enables uncomplicated and user-friendly use of IoT systems. With its universal controller, IoT application functions and devices available locally in the network can be linked automatically.
Cyber Insight provides an AI-driven solution for more effective cyber risk management. In addition to data-based prioritization, process optimization through standardized procedures and sustainable documentation, they prepare relevant data in a dashboard with clear recommendations for action.
BAUTA’s hardware module enables the automated extraction of information from image (sequences) in the image creation process. Data can be isolated securely and in compliance with data protection regulations. The technology can be used to precisely analyze pedestrian and traffic data.
As a spin-off from the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society HIIG, Law & Innovation is developing a cross-context cookie consent agent with Consenter. In doing so, they are drawing on research findings on data protection as a service and privacy by design.
The StartupSecure KASTEL team

Alexander Graf
#StartUpSecure KASTEL #initial consultation #start-up advice #CoEvolutionary Start-up

Kamelia Maleschlijski
We are strong together
Our project partners
The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has launched the StartUpSecure funding program to support research teams at German universities or in industry with their ideas and unconventional approaches. Interested parties can obtain comprehensive advice on start-ups in IT security from the start-up incubators set up at the three competence centers for IT security research CISPA in Saarbrücken, ATHENE in Darmstadt and KASTEL in Karlsruhe as well as at the Ruhr University Bochum.
As one of the leading international research institutions, the KASTEL Security Research Labs contribute to interdisciplinary research into holistic solutions for the security and data protection of complex networked systems. They span the spectrum from basic research to application research, including the timely transfer to business, society and politics. They research the quantification of security and data protection and are guided by the unity of research, teaching and innovation.
The KASTEL – Institute for Information Security and Reliability emerged from the Competence Center for Applied Security Technology and is part of the KASTEL Security Research Labs. The institute represents research and teaching in the field of information security and reliability at KIT.
The KIT Graduate School Cybersecurity provides doctoral students with state-of-the-art technical, scientific and interdisciplinary skills that enable them to respond effectively to current and future security challenges. As a hub in a multifaceted field, the school brings together the various security disciplines at KIT. It organizes regular networking events and serves as a platform for interdisciplinary work and the exchange of ideas between PhD students, post-docs and senior researchers.
ATHENE is one of the four start-up incubators in Germany that are part of the StartUpSecure funding program. It is based at the Competence Center for Applied Cyber Security in Darmstadt and offers a wide range of services for those interested in founding a company and start-ups in the field of cyber security.
The CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security in Saarbrücken is one of four start-up incubators in Germany that are part of the StartUpSecure funding program. In technology transfer, CISPA focuses in particular on start-ups and entrepreneurship, research cooperation with industry, property rights and licenses.
Cube 5 at Ruhr-Universität Bochum is one of four start-up incubators in Germany that are part of the StartUpSecure funding program. Cube 5 focuses on supporting spin-offs from research with prospects of success in the B2B sector. It provides advice and support during the application process and provides assistance throughout the entire process.
With over 1,200 members, CyberForum e.V. is the largest regionally active high-tech entrepreneur network in Europe. From start-ups and software companies to experienced entrepreneurs and international information technology providers to research institutes and universities – CyberForum brings them all together. A platform for networking as a direct link between expertise, business contacts and career prospects.
The aim of the initiative, which was founded in 2001, is to establish a regional platform for knowledge transfer, exchange of experience and maintaining contacts between data protection officers, IT security officers, researchers and practitioners. KA-IT-Si addresses current topics in data protection and information security and ensures the transfer of knowledge between research and practice, promotes the exchange of experience between security and data protection officers and provides a lively network of “short paths” for cooperation.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Karlsruhe (IHK Karlsruhe) represents the interests of its members, provides impetus for Karlsruhe as a business location, networks the regional economy, provides services for its members and organizes events ranging from specialist congresses to networking. The IHK-Haus der Wirtschaft is a central location for dialog and exchange – a house of open doors. Here, you can get practical ideas, make valuable contacts and join in the discussions.
Wibu-Systems is an innovative technology leader in the global software licensing market. Founded in 1989, the company’s mission is to provide the highest level of protection, licensing and security for digital assets and intellectual property in an increasingly connected world.
Siemens Energy is represented in 90 countries and covers the entire energy landscape. From conventional to renewable energy, from grid technology and storage to the electrification of complex industrial processes. The mission is to support companies and countries with what they need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make energy reliable, affordable and sustainable.
From generation and grids to sustainable products and services for the home: As one of the largest operators of critical infrastructure in Germany, EnBW is working on the Energiewende every day. Customers are already benefiting from pioneering solutions for electricity, heating, electromobility and telecommunications.
As a specialist in information security and cyber security, EnBW Cyber Security protects its customers’ IT and OT infrastructure against cyber attacks and helps to prevent blackmail and industrial espionage. It offers a combination of IT and OT network monitoring from a single source.
Baden-Württemberg International is the central location promotion agency for business and science in the state of Baden-Württemberg. The aim is to make Baden-Württemberg even more visible, attractive and resilient as a location for business and science in global competition, to attract new players and to strengthen, support and accompany local companies and scientific institutions in their internationalization. The linking of business and science is seen as a success factor.
Start-up BW is a campaign by the state of Baden-Württemberg with the aim of maintaining the state’s competitiveness and economic strength. An entire ecosystem is needed to provide founding teams and start-ups with the breeding ground on which they can develop and grow. The joint commitment of all stakeholders involved in the promotion of start-ups in the state makes Baden-Württemberg THE Start-up LÄND. THE Start-up LÄND bundles all support measures and funding offers for founders and start-ups in Baden-Württemberg.