Roughly two years ago, Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst started working on a problem with two different faces.
Cybersecurity startups were building new tools but needed ways to validate their products, understand industry needs, and move closer to customers. Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), meanwhile, were being asked to make increasingly complex cybersecurity decisions without always having the expertise to assess new technologies or determine what fits their operations.
The Catalyst launched two programs aimed at these different segments of the ecosystem: the Cyber Challenge and the Cyber Integration for Businesses.
“Customers need to have a high degree of trust in the technology they’re buying, so it’s not enough for startups to simply demonstrate that a product works.”
The Cyber Challenge supported 41 startups and 51 founders across four cohorts, with a focus on commercialization, product testing, and understanding real-world industry needs. Cyber Integration for Business worked with hundreds of SMEs across six priority sectors, offering sector-specific training, assessments and guidance on secure technology adoption. Both programs were delivered in partnership with the Canadian Cyber Threat Exchange (CCTX) and supported in part by the Government of Ontario.
According to Judith Borts, Catalyst senior director, the audiences for each program were different, but the underlying challenges were closely connected.
“Canada has innovative cybersecurity companies developing promising technologies, and we have businesses that urgently need better ways to protect themselves,” Borts said. “But connecting the two isn’t always straightforward. Startups need opportunities to understand what customers actually need, while businesses need the knowledge and confidence to evaluate and adopt new solutions. We designed these programs to help address both sides of that challenge.”
Finding a market for cybersecurity
A cybersecurity startup can have a working product and still be a long way from having a business. Cyber Challenge focused on that stretch between having a product and finding a market for it.
Across four cohorts, the Cyber Challenge gave founders access to industry experts, mentorship, curated programming, and sector challenges. Participating startups also received $20,000 in non-dilutive funding from the three-month program while working on go-to-market plans, sales messaging, and an intellectual property strategy.
“Customers need to have a high degree of trust in the technology they’re buying, so it’s not enough for startups to simply demonstrate that a product works,” Borts added. “Founders also need to show that it solves a meaningful problem, fits into existing systems, and can deliver value in complex operating environments. Getting access to potential customers early in the development process is critical, and those opportunities can be very difficult for young companies to secure on their own.”
Across these cohorts, participating companies went on to generate $18 million in annual recurring revenue, raise $63 million in funding, and secure 157 patents and trademarks.
Rachel Clark, founder and CEO of Muskoka, Ont.-founded SKADI Cyber Defense, came into the Cyber Challenge with technology already in development. The startup was working on a system capable of reasoning about cyber threats ontologically, but at machine speed.
The Cyber Challenge put Clark in front of mining operators, engineers, and other industry contacts; those conversations gave SKADI a chance to pressure-test how its technology could fit into an industrial setting, and build relationships that Clark said would have taken years to develop on her own.
“We learned new things that we didn’t expect, which made us a better, stronger company ready to compete in a very crowded cybersecurity space,” Clark said. “I couldn’t be more pleased about our interactions with the Catalyst, and we’re looking forward, now that we are an alum, to supporting the mission in any way that we can.”
Making cybersecurity less of a black box
The organizations expected to adopt cybersecurity products face a different set of constraints. Many Canadian SMEs are dealing with cybersecurity as an operational issue without necessarily having the resources or expertise to assess risks, compare solutions, or work out what capabilities to invest in.
Cyber Integration for Businesses combined training, assessments, and expert guidance to help businesses make those decisions in the context of their own operations. The program reached 759 SMEs across six sectors, including healthcare, advanced manufacturing, mining, agri-food, smart infrastructure, and automotive.
“Businesses should have a voice in shaping the solutions being developed for them, and startups need better access to the customers who can help validate and adopt their technologies.”
Participating organizations had the opportunity to participate in a webinar for senior leaders and technical advisors, a six-week bootcamp for cybersecurity professionals, and a free cybersecurity assessment and one-on-one consultation with an expert through the Catalyst’s Cyber Roadmap initiative.
“One thing we heard consistently across sectors was that businesses understand cybersecurity is important, but they don’t always know where to start,” Borts said.
“The specific risks facing a manufacturer, a healthcare provider, or an agricultural business can be very different, but the underlying challenge is often the same: limited time, limited resources, and uncertainty about which investments will make the greatest difference. What businesses need is practical guidance that integrates into how they actually operate, not a one-size-fits-all approach.”
The program also brought in 32 sector experts and developed 85 hours of specialized content, with training and practical assessment tailored to each of the participating industries.
A poultry farm does not face the same operating environment as a mine: the systems are different, the risks are different, and the resources available to address them can vary widely. Much of the work behind the Cyber Integration for Businesses program involved translating cybersecurity as a compliance exercise into specific decisions businesses can act on.
Angela McLeod, office manager at the family-run Hakkesteegt’s Poultry Farm, found the sector-specific advice particularly useful.
“From a family farm business perspective, this was a highly effective program,” McLeod said. “The speakers made complex issues easy to understand and gave us practical insights that were directly applicable to our business.”
Closing the distance between builders and buyers
The Cyber Challenge and Cyber Integration for Businesses sit at different ends of the cybersecurity market, with one focused on helping companies build and commercialize solutions and the other on helping organizations evaluate and adopt them. Both look at two sides of the same challenge: getting cybersecurity technology from the companies building it to the ones that need it.
Many SMEs struggle to devote enough people and money to cybersecurity. A 2024 KPMG report found that 70 percent of Canadian SMEs said they lacked the skilled personnel needed to implement cybersecurity protections or monitor for attacks. Another 69 percent cited limited financial resources. Since 2024, the problem has become more complicated as businesses adopt new technologies like AI while cyber threats become increasingly automated and sophisticated.
On the startup side, access to customers remains one of the most significant barriers to growth. In an April 2026 survey by the Council of Canadian Innovators, tech CEOs cited building a customer base as their top strategic priority, ahead of access to capital, regulation, and talent. Among cybersecurity companies, 57 percent were focused on securing early customers that could help validate their technology.
“We need to create more opportunities for Canadian cybersecurity companies and the industries they serve to work together, and we need to do that earlier. Businesses should have a voice in shaping the solutions being developed for them, and startups need better access to the customers who can help validate and adopt their technologies,” Borts said.
“Canada has tremendous cybersecurity talent and innovation. The next step is making sure that innovation finds its way into the organizations that need it, creating stronger businesses and a more secure Canadian economy in the process.”
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Learn more about the Catalyst’s work with startups and small- and medium-sized businesses by visiting cybersecurecatalyst.ca.
Feature image courtesy Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst.
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