The ecosystem
Horst Görtz Institute
for IT Security
More than 1.000 students are currently enrolled in four study programmes at the Horst Görtz Institute for IT Security (HGI) at the Ruhr University Bochum (RUB). That makes the RUB the largest educational institution for IT security in Europe. Almost all aspects of IT security are covered at HGI, from basic research in cryptography and internet security to security for the internet of things, usability and data protection.
Since its foundation, the HGI has produced almost 20 startups, making it one of the leaders in Germany in the field of IT security startup promotion. The startups were founded by students, doctoral students and professors of the institute with technologies based on research conducted at HGI. The startups are extremely successful. The first generation – zynamics, Sirrix and ESCRYPT – have been acquired by large companies such as Google, Rohde & Schwarz and Bosch.
In order to be able to support current and future founders in a more systematic and targeted manner, the Cube 5 project was established here as an incubator for IT security startups funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
IT Security Startups

Apheris

AWARE7

Code Intelligence
EDGELESS SYSTEMS

emproof

Hackmanit

immune

PHYSEC

PRIVACEE

qbound

RIPS Technologies

securious

SoSafe

Trustcerts

VMRAY

XignSys
Our partners

Bochum Economic Development

carmasec

CASA

CISPA

Deloitte Legal

eCAPITAL

eco – Association of the Internet Industry

ENERvolution GmbH

ESCRYPT

eurobits

Faculty of Management and Economics

Gründerallianz Ruhr

High-Tech Gründerfond

innogy Innovation Hub

Institut für IT-Sicherheit

isits

KIT

NERD.NRW

Robert Bosch Venture Capital

RUB Research School

ruhr:HUB

SecHuman

StartUpSecure Athene

WORLDFACTORY
“I can report from my own experience that it is a very difficult phase to go to market with the first idea. Here it is important to have fellow sufferers. We form a network of founders in which they help each other if there are failures or setbacks in the realiziation of their ideas.”
