Commonwealth Cyber Initiative helps launch new start-ups

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The Commonwealth Cyber Initiative Accelerator (CCI+A) program is a jam-packed, five-month innovation program that's fueling cybersecurity entrepreneurship across Virginia. It's teachingprofessors and start-ups what it takes to bring technology to market, including how to pitch to a panel of investors and industry leaders.

"Supporting cybersecurity start-ups and bringing ideas out of universities and into the marketplace are an essential part of the CCI's mission," said Luiz DaSilva, executive director of CCI. "We're excited to help these start-ups reach their milestones and create new opportunities and jobs in the commonwealth."

The program began at George Mason University and has expanded statewide. It's co-funded by the CCI Northern Virginia Node and the CCI Hub.

Rui Ning of DeepScan presenting their pitch. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

"Since its launch at George Mason University in 2022, CCI+A has accelerated 34 technologies from across Virginia," said Liza Wilson Durant, CCI Northern Virginia Node director, associate dean of strategic initiatives and community engagement at George Mason, and College of Engineering and Computer professor. "Each year we've seen the teams increase their customer engagement and elevate their competitive pitch performance. It's exciting to see several entities undergo acquisition and see the impact of the program on Virginia economic development."

The CCI+A program works on two tracks-the CATAPULT Fund supports teams emerging from Virginia public research universitiesand the ASCEND Fund focuses on start-up teams collaborating with faculty subject matter experts. The teams receive up to $75,000 to help them commercialize their technology.

CCI funded 10 projects this year. On October 16, teams from both tracks competed to pitch their start-ups to a panel of investors and industry leaders. The winning team from each category received an additional $5,000 in funding.

• The CATAPULT winning team is DeepScan, led by Rui Ning, an assistant professor in computer science at Old Dominion University (ODU). The team also includes Maia Lin and Yao Wang from ODU.

• The ASCEND winning team is Glacier21, a start-up led by CEO Ren McEachern, a former FBI agent. Team members include Robert Appleton, Mike Borowski, Neil Alexander, along with George Mason professor Foteini Baldimsti.

The CCI+A program is coordinated by Gisele Stolz, senior director of entrepreneurship and innovation at George Mason.

Meet the Winners

DeepScan

While artificial intelligence is quickly becoming a requirement on our smartphones and other devices, security is lagging, said Ning, DeepScanteam lead. Hidden triggers can hijack behavior, and many apps ship models that are easy to tamper with. DeepScanpromises to protect on-device AI without slowing down performance.First-time winner Ning is a veteran of CCI+A and putwhat he learned from a past program to good use.

"The program taught me how to communicate technical ideas in a way that connects with broader audiences," Ning said. "I've always been curious about entrepreneurship because it feels like a natural way to translate research into something that can make a difference. It's another path to extend our impact beyond papers and grants."

Glacier21

Glacier21 is focusing on combating illicit cryptocurrency activities. The platform integrates data from such sources as social media, data leaks, and the deep/dark web to uncover complex connections between crypto wallets, businesses, and individuals.

Glacier21 presented their platform focused on combating illicit cryptocurrency activities. Photo by Ron Aira/Office of University Branding

CCI+A helped the team with the execution, McEachern said. "When we were lucky enough to be selected into the CCI+A program, it didn't just open up some resources; it opened up access to people and vast networks that totally changed our strategy and our thinking."

Foteini Baldimsti, an associate professor of computer science at Mason, worked with Glacier21 to provide technical expertise. "It's very nice to see how your academic work can help a start-upand give technical knowledge," Baldimstisaid. "But I think it's also very interesting as an academic to learn from this project and from the CCI+A program about how you can bring your own ideas and how you can participate in one of the next cohorts and be on the other side as the founder of the company. I think this experience has been very, very valuable."

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