Stone & Chalk merges with AustCyber
Innovation hub Stone & Chalk is merging with AustCyber in a bid to accelerate growth for Australian emerging technology companies.
Through the strategic integration, Stone & Chalk will extend its commercialisation services to the Australian cybersecurity sector.
This will include investment support, customer and talent acquisition, corporate partnerships, ecosystem support, and curated mentorship from commercial leaders.
Meanwhile, Stone & Chalk participants will have access to support by AustCyber to ensure start-ups are secure by design before writing their first code.
The merger will see AustCyber become a wholly owned subsidiary of Stone & Chalk, while retaining its standalone brand, staffing structure and National Network of Cyber Security Innovation Nodes. It will also remain one of the federal government's Industry Growth Centres.
Stone & Chalk CEO Alex Scandurra said the merger represents an opportunity to reduce Australia's reliance on imported technology that contains critical dependencies in supply chains — an imperative proven to be critical during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In making our two organisations one, we are combining the greatest concentration of cybersecurity industry expertise in the country with the most developed technology commercialisation infrastructure that Australia has ever built," he said.
"The integration of Stone & Chalk and AustCyber will enable our joint organisation to pursue a resilient and prosperous future not just for founders, enterprise and governments, but for all of Australia."
"It's in our nation's interests to be investing in scalable, flexible and sophisticated ways and means to nurture and propel forward emerging tech industries," added AustCyber CEO Michelle Price. "AustCyber has demonstrated its ability to do this for cybersecurity and it's critical we apply similar approaches to other emerging technologies."
KnowBe4 Security Awareness Advocate Jacqueline Jayne welcomed the move, stating that it makes strategic sense.
"Kudos to two equally important organisations in the Australian cybersecurity landscape for realising that together they are a stronger force," she said.
"There is a wonderful synergy between Stone & Chalk's innovation and support of emerging technology and AustCyber's work in growing our cybersecurity sector. Australia has some of the best brains in the world and we will achieve so much more working together to build a culture of cybersecurity across all verticals."
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