Bengaluru, October 29, 2026: CloudSEK, the Bengaluru-based AI-powered cybersecurity and threat intelligence company has launched CloudSEK Launchpad, a 12-week startup incubation programme aimed at helping early-stage cybersecurity companies develop, test and commercialise security solutions.
The first cohort will support 10 startups, with each selected company eligible for up to US$5,000 in AI model credits alongside mentorship, threat intelligence resources, enterprise customer access and investor connections.
The initiative comes as artificial intelligence makes it increasingly easier for smaller teams to build sophisticated cybersecurity products. However, access to real-world threat intelligence, enterprise customers, industry expertise and secure AI infrastructure continues to present challenges for emerging security companies.
Through Launchpad, CloudSEK aims to address these barriers by opening its research capabilities, industry network and technology ecosystem to founders developing next-generation cybersecurity solutions.
The company has also introduced KeyVigil, a secure AI gateway that enables applications and autonomous AI agents to access leading frontier AI models while providing controls for API credentials, sensitive information, model interactions and operational spending. Selected Launchpad startups will receive KeyVigil credits to support product development.
A 12-Week Programme Designed to Take Security Startups Closer to Customers
Unlike incubation initiatives that primarily focus on mentorship, CloudSEK Launchpad is structured around practical product development, security research and commercial adoption.
Selected startups will gain access to CloudSEK’s cybersecurity expertise and an enterprise ecosystem spanning India, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and the United States.
The programme offers four major benefits:
- Mentorship from cybersecurity industry leaders: Weekly interactions with CloudSEK’s leadership across research, product development, enterprise sales and fundraising. Founders will receive guidance on identifying customers, refining products, developing pricing strategies and building sustainable businesses.
- Access to real-world threat intelligence: Startups will be able to engage with CloudSEK’s threat intelligence resources, cybersecurity researchers and partner ecosystem, helping them build products informed by emerging threats and practical enterprise security requirements.
- Enterprise customer and partner connections: The programme will facilitate introductions to potential customers and channel partners across India, the GCC and the United States, helping startups navigate enterprise adoption and identify commercial opportunities.
- AI infrastructure credits and investor exposure: Every selected startup will be eligible for up to US$5,000 in KeyVigil credits to access frontier AI models through a secure gateway. At the end of the programme, participating founders will have an opportunity to pitch their solutions to investors and potential customers during a demo day.
A central objective of Launchpad is to help early-stage companies move beyond building products to securing their first paying customers.
CloudSEK also expects the initiative to create closer engagement with emerging cybersecurity innovators, enabling collaboration around new technologies, AI-driven security applications and evolving threat intelligence requirements.
CloudSEK Introduces KeyVigil to Address Security Risks in Enterprise AI Adoption
Alongside Launchpad, CloudSEK has launched KeyVigil, a secure gateway designed to help organisations manage how their applications and AI agents interact with frontier AI models.
As enterprises increasingly integrate AI models into cybersecurity workflows, business applications and automated systems, managing API credentials, sensitive customer information, model interactions and usage costs has become an important operational and security concern.
KeyVigil addresses these challenges through a unified gateway offering:
- Single access point for AI models: Applications can interact with multiple frontier AI models through one endpoint, allowing developers to switch models without changing application code.
- Secure API master key management: KeyVigil centrally manages master API keys used to access AI model providers, reducing the need to store provider-specific master keys directly in application code or development environments.
- Sensitive data protection: Personally identifiable information, secrets and customer records are detected and masked before being transmitted to AI models.
- Protection against AI-specific attacks: The platform is designed to flag and block prompt-injection and jailbreak attempts.
- Centralised monitoring and auditability: Model interactions are logged, allowing organisations to track which applications or agents use specific models and the associated costs.
- AI spending controls: Organisations can establish usage limits for individual teams, applications and AI agents.
Developed by the team behind CloudSEK’s AIVigil platform, KeyVigil extends the company’s AI security capabilities. While AIVigil focuses on identifying exposed AI assets and attack surfaces, KeyVigil provides controls over traffic and interactions between applications, agents and AI models.
KeyVigil is available to enterprise customers, while Launchpad participants will receive access through the credits included in the incubation programme.
Supporting the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Companies
CloudSEK Launchpad draws on the company’s experience building cybersecurity products including XVigil, BeVigil, SVigil, AIVigil and Nexus AI, as well as its engagement with enterprise customers and partners across international markets.
The initiative is intended to help emerging security companies overcome some of the challenges CloudSEK encountered during its own growth, including customer acquisition, product positioning and access to relevant industry expertise.
Commenting on the initiative, Rahul Sasi, Founder and CEO of CloudSEK, said, “When we started CloudSEK, I wished someone had shown us the shortcuts, which customers to call first, which mistakes cost a year and who to trust. AI has made it significantly easier to build sophisticated technology, but building a successful cybersecurity company still requires access to real threat intelligence, trusted customers and the right industry network. With Launchpad, we want to share what we have learned and help promising founders get to their first ten paying customers.”
He added, “The next big security companies will be AI-first from day one. We want to help them get there faster.”
