Stim Tech Group is seeking innovative startups, scale-ups, and SMEs for a major European project dedicated to the development of disruptive technological solutions with applications in the defense sector, with a particular focus on the field of cybersecurity.

The scouting activity, carried out as part of the project, is aimed at identifying innovative technologies, solutions, and ideas with concrete potential for application and development in the defense, security, and critical infrastructure sectors .

Profile of Companies We Are Looking For

The following will be considered startups and scale-ups and innovative SMEs that present a concrete and innovative technological solution, with a technology readiness level ideally between TRL 4 and TRL 6.

It is not necessary to already have a commercialized product, a commercial MVP, or a fully functional prototype. However, only technically sound proposals will be considered—those with sufficient design, experimental, or demonstration elements to support a credible path toward prototyping, testing, and validation.

The following, however, will be excluded proposals that are purely theoretical or involve basic research, lacking a technical rationale, an identifiable use case, and a credible path toward prototyping and testing.

Companies that already have a fully developed and commercially available product will not be considered.
The goal is to identify companies that are still in the development phase, starting with a concrete project idea and, at most, a prototype or proof of concept.

The solution must be sufficiently well-defined with respect to the operational need it addresses, its operating principle, its scope of application, its innovative features, its technical and economic feasibility, and its development and validation process.

Technology Sector

The main focus is on cybersecurity as it applies to defense, with a particular emphasis on solutions that integrate or enable technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous/robotic systems, and quantum technologies.

In particular, technologies and solutions in the following areas will be of interest:

· Cyber Defense and Cyber Operations;

· Red Teaming and simulation of adversarial scenarios;

· Cyber Situational Awareness and Threat Intelligence;

· Vulnerability Assessment, Attack Surface Management, and Cyber Exposure Management;

· Incident Detection & Response;

· Cyber Range, simulation, and training;

· AI applied to cybersecurity, data analysis, the automation of security processes, and decision support;

· secure communications and operational resilience;

· Protection of IT/OT environments and critical infrastructure.

Particular attention will be given to dual-use solutions—applicable in both civilian and defense contexts—and to technologies with the potential to disrupt current solutions.

What We're Looking For

The goal is to identify technologies capable of producing a significant improvement in terms of operational capabilities, response time, automation, resilience, security, operational effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and/or reduced operational complexity.

What We Offer

The selected companies will have the opportunity to engage in a collaborative process withSTIM Tech Groupand theSistema Invitalia Startup network, aimed at assessing thealignment of their solution withthe project’s objectives and their potentialparticipation in a European programthat provides funding for development, prototyping, testing, and validation activities.
STIM Tech Group will contribute its technical, industrial, and market expertise to validate the use case, evaluate the solution, and support its evolution toward applications in defense, security, and critical infrastructure.

Solutions that include the following will be particularly appreciated:

· dual-use applications for civilian and defense purposes;

· advanced use of artificial intelligence;

· robotics applications, unmanned systems/drones, or quantum technologies, provided they are consistent with the cyber domain and operational security in defense scenarios;

· interoperability with NATO or EU architectures and standards;

· cybersecurity by design;

· intellectual property, software, models, datasets, know-how, or other proprietary assets that are already protected, protectable, or potentially patentable;

· The team's willingness to participate in pilot, testing, and validation programs.

Development Outlook

The solution must be accompanied by a credible development plan aimed at achieving, within 36 months, a level of technological maturity suitable for initial adoption in defense, security, or critical infrastructure contexts .

Expected start of operations: early 2027.

Purpose

The purpose of the scouting process is to compile an initial shortlist of startups, scale-ups, and innovative SMEs offering solutions that align with the project’s technological and application requirements, which will then be subject to further analysis and evaluation.