Funding Champions: IstroSec – where frontline defense meets innovation

When cyber threats strike, IstroSec is who you want on your side.

Based in Slovakia, IstroSec has quietly built a reputation as the go-to team for advanced cybersecurity incidents. They’re not theorizing — they’re responding. In the room when a ransomware attack locks up critical infrastructure. On the line when a major institution finds its data under siege.

But when you’re this deep in the trenches, something becomes clear: there are limits to defense without innovation.

They started asking a question: Why are we still using outdated tools to fight next-gen threats?

That’s where their vision for Gryphon was born — a suite of proprietary, AI-powered cybersecurity tools designed to predict, detect, and neutralize attacks in real time. Automated threat detection. Continuous network monitoring. Rapid incident response.

IstroSec had the technical firepower. What they needed was a way to shape their vision into a roadmap, and bring that innovation to life. They just needed someone to help answer questions like:

• How do we turn our frontline experience into an internationally adopted product?
• Which funding programmes are right for innovation like this?
• Can we actually compete — and win — in EU-level funding?

They reached out to Civitta, and together we got to work.

We didn’t start by writing grant proposals. We started by getting aligned on their ambition.
IstroSec knew their space — the threats, the gaps, the tech. But translating that into a compelling funding story? That’s another skill set.

So we worked together to:

• Break their big vision into fundable projects.
• Build a long-term strategy across local and EU opportunities.
• Help define what makes Gryphon different — and necessary.

With clarity came momentum. IstroSec submitted four funding proposals — two local, two EU-level. Two were approved, bringing in the funding they needed to move from concept to early deployment. We are waiting for the assessment of the fourth. 

IstroSec isn’t done. Their suite of tools is expanding. Their credibility as innovators is growing. And their roadmap now includes both product development and impact — creating tools that don’t just respond to cyberattacks but reshape how Europe defends itself.

They’re still the team you call when disaster strikes. But now, they’re also the team building the tools that might prevent it in the first place.

• You don’t need a flashy pitch deck. You need a clear story and a solid plan.
• Expertise matters. EU funding loves companies that truly understand their domain.
• Consortiums are credibility. The right partners can make or break a proposal.

Product + Policy = Power. If your innovation supports EU priorities, the funding will follow.

Because they’re not here for buzz. They’re here to solve hard problems.
They saw a gap, trusted their experience, and built something ambitious — and fundable.

They remind us that some of the most impactful innovations come from the people already deep in the problem. All they need is the right spark, a strong partner, and a strategy that speaks EU funding’s language.

If you’ve ever thought, “we could do something bigger — if we had the resources,” maybe this is your sign.

Let’s map it out together.