Navigating the RSA Innovation Sandbox

Episode sponsors:

• Binarly (https://binarly.io)
• Binary Risk Hunt (https://risk.binarly.io)

In this reboot of the Security Conversations interview series, Foundation Capital partner Sid Trivedi weighs in on major changes to the RSA Innovation Sandbox, the mandatory $5M uncapped SAFE investment for all 10 finalists, and red-flag concerns around discounts and pro-rata rights.

Also discussed: controversial pay-for-play dynamics involving CISOs and venture capital firms, ethical implications of CISOs taking advisory positions in startups, and the challenges of investing in seed-stage startups amidst a trend towards platformization.

Links:

• RSA’s Innovation Sandbox: Cybersecurity Startups Must Accept $5 Million Investment
• RSA Innovation Sandbox: $50 Million Annual Investment Program for Top 10 Finalists
• RSA Conference - How do SAFEs work?
• This VC Built A Cybersecurity Unicorn Machine. Then Came A Conflict Of Interest Mess.
• The Gili Ra’anan model: CISOs and VCs controversy
• Sid Trivedi bio
• Foundation Capital