Monitoring the world of start-ups through a scouting activity allows the detection of weak signals for technology monitoring and forecasting. Star-up radars may also use additional sources for curation, such as start-up competitions. For instance, the CYD Campus organizes each year a start-up challenge on a topic related to cyberdefence, which allows the identification of promising technologies that best suit the requirements of the Swiss Department of Defence (DDPS).
In addition, the Technology Observatory conducts its own content curation of start-ups using alternative sources, such as the Swiss Cybersecurity Start-Up Map from Dreamlab Technologies, the Startups Getting a Lock on Cyber Security from start-up.ch, the Tech4Trust acceleration program from the Trust Valley, etc.
In 2023, the Trust Valley ranked the most promising companies in the fields of cybersecurity and digital trust here.
The continued growth of Swiss cybersecurity start-ups is generating a hotbed of innovation here in Switzerland. Below, The Swiss Cybersecurity Start-Up Map, as of November 2024:
Source: Swiss Cybersecurity Start-Up Map
The Swiss Cybersecurity Start-Up Map also provides a mapping of cybersecurity startups in Switzerland:
SICTIC and digitalswitzerland aggregate a map of the Swiss Tech Startup Ecosystem as of July 2023:
Swiss-Startup-Ecosystem-Map-1-1-2023Wavestone also offers an alternative cybersecurity startups radar. The method used for curation is described in the video below (in French).
Spotlighting Innovation: Cyber Defence Campus Startup Challenge Winners:
Through the annual CYD Campus Startup Challenge, innovative technologies that align with the Swiss Department of Defence (DDPS) are brought to the forefront. The winners of this competition in recent years have been diverse, addressing various areas within cybersecurity, from strengthening information sharing (ISAC) to network detection and security for IoT devices, securing mobile applications, and, more recently, advancements in artificial intelligence. A complete list of past winners is provided below.
| Year | Startup Name | Location | Theme |
| 2024 | Patronus AI | New York, USA | Security of Artificial Intelligence |
| 2023 | Ostorlab | Middletown, USA | Security of smartphone applications and their potential threats |
| 2022 | ONEKEY | Düsseldorf, Germany | Network detection and security of IoT devices |
| 2021 | Decentriq | Zurich, Switzerland | ISAC |
Source: Cyber Defence Campus Startup Challenge 2024, CYD Campus Startup Challenge