Daly Brown and Nick Foubert are the co-founders of Metropolitan Technologies, which is now a graduate of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst’s Cyber Challenge go-to-market program. Metropolitan Technologies is an early stage Canadian start-up which simplifies system integration through a secure, dual-use, real-time digital operations platform.
Learn more about Metropolitan Technologies on their website:
Metropolitan.tech
- What’s your secret (or not-so-secret) origin story? What made you want to build a cybersecurity solution?
Both myself and my co-founder, Nick Foubert, have a background in aerospace and defence, Nick as a computer scientist, myself as an Engineer, with experience in building mission-critical applications for airborne platforms. We left that industry and founded Metropolitan Technologies to build reliable and secure commercial products based on our experience.
Our first idea was to build smart city products, with a focus on equity and privacy. After searching for a software platform to build on, we didn’t find one that met our standards for security, privacy, and reliability… so we decided to build our own.
- Pitch your startup to us as if we’re an individual or organization that thinks cyber crime is “someone else’s problem.”
Infrastructure operators need to reliably connect and secure an increasing number of disparate devices and sensors across isolated systems, in order to support operations. Organizations currently use a patchwork of connectivity and security tools to deliver these operational technologies.
This creates fragmentation, adds complexity, increases data silos, creates gaps in cyber defences… and of course, offers poor data privacy and protection.
Critical infrastructure, and the operational technology essential to its functioning, are high-value targets because attacks on them can cause life threatening and/or costly effects. Your organization could be liable for loss of value and loss of life if you don’t take cybersecurity seriously.
- What’s the best question you’ve been asked about your startup?
The best question we’ve been asked about our startup is “why now?”.
The critical infrastructure market is very risk-averse, and penetrating the market has been historically difficult. Many infrastructure operators have existing systems which they have relied upon for decades, and have been reluctant to adopt newer technologies. However, the digital transformation of these industries is reaching a tipping point. Operators are acknowledging the benefits of increasing connectivity within their infrastructure.
Our vision is to be the digital backbone of the world’s critical infrastructure and an enabler of the digital transformation of industry. We believe our experience in aerospace and defence, and our secure-by-design approach to building connectivity software, positions us to capture this market.
- How is the Cyber Challenge helping you right now?
The Cyber Challenge has been crucial in providing us advice on going to market and building a channel partner network. Our advisors’ advice has clarified where we fit in the supply chain and has helped us to tailor our marketing strategy.
Cyber Challenge has also introduced us to key industry players. These connections are already bearing fruit for our company.
- What makes Cyber Challenge unique, compared to other innovation programs, incubators or accelerators you’ve come across?
The focus on going to market, as opposed to a generic startup school, makes the Cyber Challenge unique amongst other accelerators. Moreover, their focus on cybersecurity, as opposed to a broad range of technologies, has exposed us to advisors that have more relevant experience to our industry.
Finally, the focus on milestones and tangible outcomes keeps us on track, and ensures we continue to get value out of the program.
