The ATHENE Startup Award UP26@it-sa has been awarded: during the live pitch on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, at the it-sa Expo&Congress in Nuremberg, Fuzzware from Bochum secured first place and prize money of 7,500 euros. Complioty from Munich took second place (5,000 euros), whilst RedCastle from Heubach came third (2,500 euros).

The 2026 winners

1st place: Fuzzware – security testing for embedded software
Fuzzware improves the security of embedded systems: the tool enables fuzzing of complete firmware systems without physical hardware, relying on a thorough analysis based solely on the binary code.

2nd place: Complioty – CRA compliance for mechanical engineering
Complioty turns product security for the mechanical engineering sector into an ongoing process rather than a one-off project. The platform automatically generates software bills of materials, continuously monitors them for vulnerabilities and supports companies on their path to compliance with the Cyber Resilience Act, which will become mandatory from December 2027.

3rd place: RedCastle – SOC for SMEs
RedCastle operates an AI-powered Security Operations Centre for SMEs, with its own analysts, in-house forensics and operations based in Germany. A monitoring service analyses the attack surface of SMEs, assesses it using AI and provides IT security recommendations.

Interviews with the five finalists

• Blindsight
• Complioty
• Fuzzware
• RedCastle
• SQUR

How the final unfolded

Having already presented themselves to the itsa365 community at the digital Preview Day prior to the trade fair, the five finalists gave their pitches on the main stage (Forum F, Hall 9) in front of a large audience of trade visitors and the judging panel. Following each pitch, the judging panel asked probing questions before proceeding to the final vote. This year marked the ninth time the award has been presented.

How were the entries judged?

An independent panel of experts assessed all entries according to the following criteria:

• Product/Service
• Unique Selling Proposition
• Business Model
• Marketing & Sales
• Team/Skills

What can startups win?

Cash prizes totaling up to 15,000 euros, sponsored by Telekom Security, NürnbergMesse, and Infinigate. In addition: a live pitch at Europe’s most important IT security trade fair in Nuremberg, granting access to Germany’s leading community for security innovations; visibility on the it-sa 365 digital platform; and, for the first-place startup, special terms for the Startup Area at the following year’s it-sa, as well as a free membership in the IT-Sicherheitscluster e. V..

“The ATHENE Startup Award not only helps us gain visibility, but also builds trust with customers and investors.” Christian Stanke, Founder of Infrafon – Winner of UP25@it-sa

“The jury was great and asked a lot of questions, and we immediately received requests for follow-ups. That was really cool. Go for it, apply for the ATHENE Startup Award!” Lars Moll, founder of NENNA.AI - 3rd prize 2025

“Cyber­security will shape our future, and your innovations are shaping part of that future! Our strong recommendation: Take the plunge, seize the opportunity!” Alex Wyllie and David Kelm, founders of IT-Seal, winners of UP18@itsa

ATHENE (Digital Hub Cyber­security)

The ATHENE Digital Hub Cyber­security is Germany’s central hub for startup projects in the field of cybersecurity. The hub supports research teams and startups focused on IT security and data protection from the initial idea through to scaling. In conjunction with the StartUpSecure | ATHENE initiative, the hub offers access to funding, excellent research, personalized consulting, and a strong national and inter­national network.

it-sa - Home of IT Security

As a co-initiator, NürnbergMesse, with the it-sa Expo&Congress and the digital platform it-sa 365, provides significant support, including free Company&Product Packages for the five nominated startups, the organization of the final pitches and subsequent award ceremony at the it-sa Expo&Congress 2025, as well as promoting the award through its channels.

More information on the website of the Award.