La XVI edizione dell’IMSA Italian Master Startup Award of the Italian Association of University Incubators PniCube, in collaboration with I3P I3P, came to its conclusion during Italian Tech Week at OGR Tech in Turin. The contest pitted eight hi-tech companies originating from the results of academic research against each other, rewarding the one with the best market performance within 3-5 years of its birth.
The Jury awarded as the winning startup the university spin-off Ermes CybersecurityErmes Cybersecurity, which convinced thanks to its advanced technological expertise and remarkable entrepreneurial skills. Ermes will receive a cash prize, co-funded by I3P, and will enter into contact with large companies and venture capital funds.
Ermes Cybersecurity offers its client companies protection capable of reducing the risk of web threats and cyber attacks by 99 per cent thanks to its machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms capable of analysing more than 10 million web pages daily. Ermes was also the only Italian company mentioned in the world's top 100 cybersecurity companies compiled by Gartner, the world leader in IT research.
During the award ceremony was also given a special mention to AIKO, a deep tech startup also born in I3P operating in the field of space mission automation through artificial intelligence.
Alessandro Grandi, Presidente di PniCube, commented: "The 2022 edition of IMSA stood out for the high quality of the participating companies, whose results in terms of industrial and market development testify to the importance of technology transfer paths from academic research for the creation of new innovative entrepreneurial realities".
Hassan Metwalley, CEO e co-founder della vincitrice Ermes Cybersecurity, commented on the victory: "It is an honour for us to be able to receive this award, which certainly symbolises the value of the path started by the research laboratories of the Politecnico di Torino. In spite of this, we are aware that the award represents just one stage in our growth path, which sets us the mandatory goal of playing a leading role at world level."
