High-potential early-stage cybersecurity companies could also get funding from CrowdStrike’s strategic investment vehicle, the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund.

Applications for the AWS & CrowdStrike Cybersecurity Accelerator is open from September 27 to October 31, 2023. Selected startups will be enrolled in a free 10-week no-cost program that includes office hours with AWS Cybersecurity experts and CrowdStrike executives, access to top-tier cybersecurity global investors, enablement sessions, up to $25,000 in AWS Activate credits, among other exclusive benefits.

At the end of the program, participants can present their innovations at an in-person Demo Day at the AWS Startup Loft in San Francisco which will take place during the RSA Conference in May 2024. Winning presentations could receive funding from the CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, a portfolio that includes AWS Partners like Abnormal (Behavioral AI Security), Cribl (Observability), Dig Security (Data Security), Vanta (Compliance) and Talon Security (Secure Browser).

"This is a game-changer for cyber founders. Navigating foundational startup initiatives is difficult while accelerating your product vision and execution at the same time,” said Josh Jones, Head of Corporate Development at Vanta. “Having the support of both AWS and CrowdStrike will help the program participants in ways not available to most emerging ISVs. It is a win-win-win for all parties involved."

“CrowdStrike’s category creating journey from startup to market leader was built on AWS and together we have created an enhanced AWS go-to-market – bringing cybersecurity to the cloud era,” said Daniel Bernard, chief business officer at CrowdStrike. “Now, with the creation of the AWS& CrowdStrike Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator, we are combining the tech expertise of two of the most reputable names in the industry to share best practices and business-critical resources for the next-generation of cybersecurity innovators building on AWS and the Falcon platform.”

“Security has been a top priority for AWS since day one and we are delighted to work with CrowdStrike to support the next generation of startups set to disrupt the global cybersecurity ecosystem. With the combination of our extensive expertise at AWS and Crowdstrike, the new cybersecurity accelerator will equip founders with the most innovative tools available to drive transformation in protecting people, businesses and societies.” said Chris Grusz, Managing Director of Technology Partnerships at AWS.

The CrowdStrike Falcon Fund is a cross-stage investment fund and the largest corporate venture arm in the cybersecurity industry. The program is designed to build an ecosystem of next-generation security leaders that share a common mission through a unique combination of investment and deep technical integrations with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform, giving CrowdStrike customers access to cutting-edge third-party capabilities.

The AWS Startup Loft Accelerator program is a 10-week virtual acceleration program for early-stage cloud-based startups. The program enables startups to maximise the value of AWS by providing them with AWS tech resources, to validate their business by industry leaders, to access investors and to accelerate their time to market. The program structure is based on four pillars crucial to a startup's success in its early days: Technology, Product, Go-to-market and Funding. The program puts the entrepreneur at the centre allowing startups to build their own personalised program out of the AWS Startup Loft Accelerator session and content offering.