Sharlic Wins Inaugural SIA StartUps Pitch Contest
Three security startups were named top winners of the first SIA StartUps in Security Pitch Competition held at ISC East 2026.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Startups
The Security Industry Association held its inaugural SIA StartUps in Security Pitch Competition at ISC East 2026, with Sharlic, Angel Protection Systems, and Rapidflare named the top three winners. Seven companies pitched before a panel of industry experts and investors known as the SIA StartUps Wolf Pack.
Why it matters
The competition offers early-stage security companies a platform to present their products to industry experts and investors. It reflects growing interest in new entrants serving the security channel in the United States.
Sharlic, a Swedish B2B SaaS company founded in 2023, launched commercially in the United States in 2026 and has paying customers in six countries. Angel Protection Systems reports $500,000 in fiscal 2026 revenue from 19 paying customers, including 11 school districts.
The players
Security Industry Association (SIA)
SIA is a trade association for the security industry, headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, that organizes the StartUps in Security community and the pitch competition.
Sharlic AB
Sharlic is a Swedish B2B SaaS company that makes a cloud-based service delivery management platform for recurring licenses and subscriptions sold through the security channel, and it was backed by Axis Communications founder Martin Gren.
Angel Protection Systems
Angel Protection Systems was founded in 2022 after the Uvalde, Texas school shooting and runs a 24/7 operations center in Midland, Texas that monitors camera streams for schools and other customers.
The details
Entrants were scored on problem clarity, solution and product, market opportunity, business model, pitch quality, and overall readiness. First-round live pitches were held Wednesday, Nov. 4 on The Bridge stage, and three finalists advanced to a live championship event the following morning before an audience of ISC East attendees.
Timeline
2022: Angel Protection Systems was founded after the Uvalde shooting in Texas.
2023: Sharlic AB was founded in Sweden.
Wednesday, Nov. 4: First-round live pitches were held on The Bridge stage.
Thursday, Nov. 5: The championship event with three finalists took place.
Market Landscape
New security startups are increasingly building cloud-based and subscription-driven products for the security channel rather than traditional hardware sales. The inaugural SIA pitch competition places these companies in front of established integrators and investors to test product-market fit.
For security integrators and school administrators, the emergence of subscription-based service platforms and remote monitoring vendors may expand the options available for managing recurring licenses and camera monitoring. Buyers evaluating these products should review pricing and service terms directly with each vendor.
The takeaway
Early-stage security companies are seeking visibility through structured competitions that put product pitches in front of experienced judges. Industry participants tracking new vendors can use such events to compare business models and readiness before evaluating purchases.
Further reading
Explore more Startups coverage for context on early-stage companies entering the security market.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Security Sales & Integration.
