Hook Security Joins Tampa Bay Wave's First CyberTech|X Accelerator

In January 2021, Tampa Bay Wave named Hook Security to the inaugural cohort of its CyberTech|X Accelerator, a group of 15 cybersecurity startups selected from across the US. The 90-day virtual program gave Hook mentoring, sales training, and a demo-day pitch in front of accredited investors, venture capitalists and cybersecurity leaders.

Tampa Bay Wave announced the cohort on January 19, 2021 (program announcement, PDF), and the news was covered by St. Pete Catalyst and Grit Daily.

What is Tampa Bay Wave?

Tampa Bay Wave is a nonprofit that helps entrepreneurs build and grow technology startups. Its accelerator programs connect selected companies with investors, mentors and exclusive events. CyberTech|X was its first program built specifically for cybersecurity companies, created to support startups and to raise the profile of the cybersecurity cluster already growing in the Tampa Bay region.

"Tampa Bay Wave is proud to launch this new accelerator program that will not only provide support to innovative cybersecurity startups throughout the US and beyond, but also showcase the growing cluster of cybersecurity firms already in the region," said Linda Olson, president and founder of Tampa Bay Wave. "Programs like the CyberTech|X Accelerator can go a long way to further cultivate and develop tech and cybersecurity talent here in Tampa Bay."

What the program included

• A 90-day virtual curriculum
• One-on-one mentoring from founders and operators
• Sales training aimed at early-stage cybersecurity companies
• A closing pitch on April 23, 2021, to accredited investors, venture capitalists and industry leaders

Why it mattered to Hook

In early 2021 Hook was a small team with a different idea about security awareness training: that people learn more from training they enjoy than from training that scares them. An accelerator focused only on cybersecurity put that idea in front of people who understood the market and could pressure-test it. We joined to sharpen our go-to-market and to expand psychological security into the wider cybersecurity world.

What Hook brought into the cohort

Hook entered CyberTech|X a few months after launching PsySec Advanced, its monthly security awareness training program, and just before a February 2021 product release. That release introduced Instant Training Moments: short videos that play the moment someone clicks a phishing simulation, matched to the kind of email they clicked, whether a brand knockoff, an internal request or a too-good-to-be-true offer. The same update added a Domain Manager for simulation sending domains and more than 200 new phishing simulation templates. The accelerator gave the team a structured way to test how to sell that product to businesses and the MSPs who serve them.

Where it led

CyberTech|X turned out to be one of the most important rooms Hook has been in. Through the program, Hook was introduced to TampaBay.Ventures. The firm invested in Hook in August 2022, as St. Pete Catalyst reported, and in May 2023 it led Hook's seed round. Read the seed round announcement for that part of the story.

Hook Security is now headquartered in Lakeland, Florida. See every milestone since on Company News.

FAQ

What is the CyberTech|X Accelerator?

CyberTech|X is Tampa Bay Wave's accelerator for cybersecurity startups. Its first cohort, announced in January 2021, included 15 companies and ran as a 90-day virtual program with mentoring, sales training and an investor pitch day.

Was Hook Security in the first cohort?

Yes. Hook Security was one of the 15 startups in the inaugural 2021 CyberTech|X cohort.

What came out of the accelerator for Hook?

The program introduced Hook to TampaBay.Ventures, which invested in Hook in August 2022 and led its seed round in May 2023.

About Hook Security

Hook Security is a security awareness training and phishing simulation platform built for MSPs and SMBs. Its PsySec methodology uses psychology and humor to create real behavior change. Learn more about Hook's security awareness training, or find media resources in the Hook press kit.