Santander X Global Challenge | Cyberprotect the Future
Is your business developing a transformational cyber security solution?
Banco Santander and the Oxentia Foundation are launching Santander X Global Challenge | Cyberprotect the Future¸ a global challenge for start-ups and scale-ups from 11 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom, the United States and Uruguay) that provide innovative solutions to the cybersecurity challenges faced by all of us as a society.
The deadline for applications is 28th September, and the six winning projects will receive 120,000 euros in prizes: 30,000 euros for the top three start-ups (10,000 euros each) and 90,000 euros for the top three scale-ups (30,000 euros each). Winners will also be given access to Santander X 100, the global entrepreneurial community, where the top Santander X projects are connected with the resources that they need to grow. In addition, they will also be given the opportunity to present their project to Forgepoint Capital and the cybersecurity and Fintech Station teams at Banco Santander, competing for the opportunity to run a pilot test.
Diego Calascibetta, global head of Entrepreneurship and Fintech Station at Santander Universities, stated that “cybersecurity and the challenges that we are facing in the society are growing exponentially. As a result, the best talent is offering up all of their ideas to provide better online protection for society as a whole. With this initiative from Santander X, we want to help address these challenges by providing tools, resources and a visible platform for these ideas to thrive”.
Hazel Diez Castaño, global chief information security officer (CISO) at Banco Santander explained that, “the aim is not just to identify these start-ups, but also to support them on this journey and to help them to achieve their desired impact. These companies may often take a more agile approach to implementing technologies and may be more willing to experiment with innovative ideas, which helps to create a more secure ecosystem”.
Steve Cleverley, CEO of Oxentia Foundation, “at Oxentia, helping entrepreneurs address global challenges, provide innovative solutions, and promote adoption of new and disruptive technologies is at the heart of our work. In the midst of a significant leap forward in our technological capabilities, keeping the digital world safe, reliable, and resilient has never been more important. The Oxentia Foundation is therefore delighted to be working in partnership with Santander X to launch a new global challenge | Cyberprotect the Future. We are looking forward to hearing from entrepreneurs across the Santander footprint with the very best cutting-edge technology and transformational solutions and wish all applicants the very best of luck.”
About the Oxentia Foundation
The Oxentia Foundation was created to support Oxentia’s goal to address global inequalities through innovation and entrepreneurship activities. Globally, Oxentia has designed, developed, and run awards, competitions and programmes supporting early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs to promote commercialisation of science and technology based-innovation projects impacting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Oxentia developed out of the University of Oxford’s technology transfer company, Oxford University Innovation, with the aim to deliver specialist innovation management services to clients in the public and private sector all over the world. Its approach is grounded in a strong Oxford heritage based on over 30 years’ experience in supporting academic innovation and entrepreneurship in Oxford, and globally in over 70 countries
About Banco Santander and its support for higher education
Banco Santander is firmly committed to progress and inclusive, sustainable growth. Through Santander Universities, the bank has stood out among the world’s financial institutions as a pioneering stalwart of education, entrepreneurship and employability for 26 years. Since the launch of Santander Universities, the bank has deployed more than €2.2 billion and has supported more than a million students, professionals and entrepreneurial projects through agreements with more than 1300 universities across 25 countries.
