CyberBay Innovation Challenge Awards $70,000 Grant to Emerging Cybersecurity Innovator

CyberBay Innovation Challenge Awards $70,000 Grant to Emerging Cybersecurity Innovator

Actualization.ai recognized for advancing practical, accessible cybersecurity solutions at CyberBay Summit 2026

CyberBay today announced the winner of the CyberBay Innovation Challenge, awarding a $70,000 non-dilutive grant to Actualization.ai and its SquarePact solution for its innovative approach to making cybersecurity more accessible, usable, and effective for small and mid-sized organizations.

The winner was selected following live pitches from three finalist companies during CyberBay Summit 2026 , where founders presented their solutions to a panel of industry judges.

As cybersecurity threats continue to escalate faster than most organizations can respond, the Innovation Challenge was designed by CyberBay’s Innovation Solutions Working Group. Led by Manish Agrawal, Ph.D., University of South Florida Professor and Academic Director at Cyber Florida, the Working Group is focused on viable, near-term solutions that can be deployed in real-world environments.

“The generation of cybersecurity innovation won’t succeed if it only works for the biggest companies with the biggest budgets,” said Agrawal. “This challenge is identifying solutions that are usable, affordable, and ready to meet organizations where they are today.”

Innovation Challenge Winner

Actualization.ai was recognized for its targeted approach, selling SquarePact into Managed Service Providers and demonstrating a strong understanding of related markets. By reducing costs for small and medium businesses, they were also well aligned with the Innovation Challenge's goal of democratizing cybersecurity.

The finalists, which also included companies HACKsee and RedShield, were evaluated by a panel of leaders from the Tampa funding community: Amit Agrawal, Director of Investor Relations & Platform Operations, Tampa Bay Wave ; Dr. Tim R. Holcomb, Chief Executive Officer, Embarc Collective ; and Zach Brodsky, Senior Associate, Florida Funders .

The Innovation Challenge award grant was provided by Bellini Capital .

CyberBay is a Tampa Bay–based cybersecurity ecosystem focused on strengthening collaboration across industry, government, academia, and defense. Through community engagement, events, workforce initiatives, and innovation programs, CyberBay works to make cybersecurity more accessible, more effective, and a strategic priority for organizations nationwide.

Media Barbra Watson Longview Strategies bwatson@longviewstrategies.com

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