​⚡ 125+ founders registered to our last Founder Initiative buyer pitch event.

​Early-stage AI cybersecurity founders pitch their startups directly to enterprise CISOs and receive live buyer feedback.

​For most founders, it's hard to get direct access to security leaders.

​At this event, the CISOs are the judges.

​Five startups will pitch their products live and receive feedback from leading enterprise security executives. The startups will be selected live during the event based on your solution statement.

​Apply to pitch or attend and watch the pitches live.

​Who Should Attend

​This event is designed for:

​• AI cybersecurity founders building security products
• Builders looking to understand enterprise security buying priorities

​Please note that this event is intended for founders only.

​Why Attend

​🤝 Meet CISOs directly
Facilitated breakout rooms give founders the opportunity to meet enterprise security leaders and ask questions.

​🚀 Pitch your startup
Five startups will be selected live by the CISOs to deliver a 90-second pitch.

​🧠 Learn what CISOs actually want
Panelists will share their top cybersecurity priorities and challenges.

​🔎 Identify real buyer pain points
Understand the security problems enterprise teams are actively trying to solve.

​Featured CISOs

​Apollo — CISO
Ralph Pyne
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralph-pyne-0b5b6b1/

​IVP — CISO (ex-Atlassian, NerdWallet)
Bala Sathiamurthy
https://www.linkedin.com/in/balasathiamurthy/

​Okta — Chief Security Officer, EMEA
Stephen McDermid
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenmcdermid/

​Cribl — CISO
Myke Lyons
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mykelyons/

​How the Pitch Works

​Five startups will be selected live by the CISOs during the event based on their company name and solution statement.

​If selected, you will deliver:

​• 90-second startup pitch
• 90-second feedback from the CISOs

​At the end of the event, the CISOs will vote on the startup they would be most likely to buy from.

​Agenda

​9:00 AM — Arrival, breakfast, networking

​9:30 AM — Buyer insights
CISOs share their top 3 security priorities

​9:45 AM — Live startup pitches
5 startups pitch → CISOs provide feedback

​10:10 AM — CISO vote for the most promising tool 🏆

​10:15 AM — Breakout rooms
Each CISO hosts a small group discussion with founders

​10:30 AM — Networking

​11:00 AM — Event ends

​Hosted By

​Okta Ventures

​Okta Ventures invests in companies building cutting-edge technologies across identity, security, and privacy.

​Connect with:

​Austin Arensberg — Head of Okta Ventures
https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinarensberg/

​David Lopez-Henriquez — Investor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lopez-henriquez-41a6b1a8/

​The Founder Initiative

​The Founder Initiative is a podcast and event community helping founders reach product-market fit, drive durable growth, and get funded faster.

​We’re honored to partner with Okta Ventures to host this buyer pitch event.

​Event Terms

​By RSVPing for this event, you consent to allow event sponsors, hosts, and partners to contact you and use your registration information.