CyberShark Pitch Competition Names RapidFort as 2025 Winner

LaunchTech extends gratitude to the CISOs who served as judges and provided expert insights and guidance throughout the 2025 CyberShark season

BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LaunchTech Communications, a CyberRisk Alliance (CRA) resource specializing in PR and AR services for the cybersecurity industry, today announced RapidFort as the winner of the 2025 CyberShark Pitch Competition.

The 2025 event series spotlighting innovation and excellence in cybersecurity brought together promising growth-stage companies from across the market landscape, offering them a platform to demonstrate their technology and vision to a panel of CISOs and experienced industry experts.

RapidFort emerged as the 2025 winner as a result of presenting a compelling pitch during the final round, held virtually on Oct. 16. The event featured dedicated CISO members of the CyberRisk Collaborative and broader industry who participated as judges to vote for the winner.

Earlier rounds of this year’s CyberShark competition saw strong performances from a diverse field of competitors. At RSA Conference 2025, Dropzone AI, represented by Edward Wu, advanced as a finalist alongside RapidFort. At Black Hat USA 2025, Sandfly Security, represented by Craig Rowland, and Senteon, represented by Henry Zhang, joined the finalist lineup following standout presentations.

“We are honored to be named the winner of the 2025 CyberShark Pitch Competition,” said George Manuelian, Chief Strategy and Sales Officer at RapidFort. “This recognition reinforces our commitment to helping organizations build secure software, faster and with confidence. As security and compliance requirements evolve, it’s clear that integrating security from the start is no longer optional. The CyberShark experience has been incredible, connecting us directly with CISOs, providing valuable insights, and validating our mission to make secure software delivery a natural, continuous part of how modern teams build.”

Wayne Schepens, Chief Cyber Market Analyst at CyberRisk Alliance, added, “The CyberShark Pitch Competition is one of the most exciting projects I’ve had the fortune to lead. CyberShark gives growth-stage cybersecurity vendors a unique opportunity to validate their solutions, while receiving candid, actionable feedback on their messaging, positioning, and product-market fit. What makes this program so valuable is the collaborative spirit; our judges not only bring their deep expertise, but also an enthusiasm to engage in a supportive, low-pressure environment. It's a win-win: vendors gain champions, grow relationships, refine their go-to-market strategy, and test their solutions against peers, while CISOs gain early insight into innovations that could shape the future of the industry.”

The 2025 CyberShark Pitch Competition highlighted the innovative strength of cybersecurity vendors and reinforced CyberRisk Alliance’s commitment to advancing collaboration, thought leadership, and technological innovation across the industry.

If you are an emerging cybersecurity vendor and would like to be considered for a pitch slot in the 2026 CyberShark event series, please submit your self-nomination to [e-mail].

For more information about LaunchTech Communications, visit https://golaunchtech.com/.

About CyberRisk Alliance (CRA)
CyberRisk Alliance provides business intelligence that helps the cybersecurity ecosystem connect, share knowledge, accelerate careers, and make smarter and faster decisions. Through our trusted information brands, network of experts, and more than 250 innovative annual events we provide cybersecurity professionals with actionable insights and act as a powerful extension of cybersecurity marketing teams. Our brands include SC Media, the Official Cybersecurity Summits, Security Weekly, Identiverse, CyberRisk Collaborative, LaunchTech Communications, Execweb, InfoSec World, ChannelE2E, MSSP Alert, and TECHEXPO Top Secret. Learn more at www.cyberriskalliance.com.