DefendSphere, a Valencian cybersecurity startup, has been selected to join the Cybersecurity Startup Program, a joint initiative by Startup Valencia and INCIBE – Spain’s National Cybersecurity Institute.
Chosen from over 50 applicants, the company will now enter a three-month acceleration program that offers advanced training, expert mentorship, and a Demo Day in front of investors and key industry stakeholders.
So behind the press release is a bold claim: that DefendSphere, or any other Cybersecurity Startup, can provide small businesses with the equivalent of a dedicated cybersecurity expert—via AI. A proposition that touches a nerve in today’s European tech landscape.
Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue, it’s a regulatory minefield, an operational imperative, and increasingly, a legal requirement. With new frameworks like NIS2 and DORA putting pressure on organizations of all sizes, a solution aimed at SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) feels timely. In this way, Defend Sphere is built like one platform powered by automation and AI to deliver this goal
According to co-founder Aleksandr Abalakin, that question was at the heart of the company’s founding mission. “It began with a straightforward challenge: how can a smaller company achieve the same level of security as a corporation?” he told Novobrief.
Abalakin and his team say they come from backgrounds in banking cybersecurity, penetration testing, and IT security audits.
“We understand how complex standards such as ISO 27001, GDPR, and NIS2 can be for organizations that aren’t banks or tech behemoths. Instead of creating yet another piece of “tick-the-box” software, our goal was to develop a practical, user-friendly solution that works for teams without dedicated security experts.”
Their approach: integrate governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) automation with attack surface intelligence into a single cloud-based platform. What makes it different, according to Abalakin, is how these elements are combined, along with a large language model (LLM) that acts as an AI-powered cybersecurity agent.
He explains, “Real-time audits, practical templates, and contextual risk analysis are all available through one dashboard. Most importantly, it’s designed for organizations with limited IT resources.”
Their ambition is about the market gap: most SMEs can’t afford full-time cybersecurity teams, and off-the-shelf compliance tools often require significant customization or expert oversight. Still, DefendSphere’s claim raises the question of: where does automation stop, and where does human expertise remain irreplaceable?
Abalakin notes, “As a team based in Europe, we are building our solution to address local compliance needs and the specific constraints faced by SMEs.”
DefendSphere is currently self-funded. “I won’t mention the exact figures, but a significant amount of man-hours and expertise have already been invested. We are fully committed to our idea and product, and plan to continue investing even more,” said Abalakin, adding, “Being self-funded gives us the flexibility to prioritize product quality over short-term metrics.”
In 2025, DefendSphere’s focus is execution: completing its minimum viable product (MVP), growing its team, and reaching 15 initial clients across different jurisdictions to validate its approach against a variety of compliance models.
“The biggest challenge is syncing product development, funding, and go-to-market strategies without losing momentum or focus,” Abalakin admits. “Support from INCIBE and Startup Valencia is helping us move forward.”