On April 14, 2026, CISPA Helmholtz Center for Information Security had the honor of hosting Martin Keller, President of the Helmholtz Association, as part of his tour of all 18 Helmholtz Centers. Accompanied by Sabine Helling-Mögen, Chief Executive Officer of Helmholtz, and other representatives, Keller engaged with CISPA’s research teams and startup founders, emphasizing the center’s pivotal role in advancing cybersecurity and fostering innovation.
A Tour of Research Excellence
The visit commenced with an introduction by CISPA’s CEO and founding director, Michael Backes, who outlined the center’s vision and achievements. Keller and his delegation then explored various research groups, gaining insights into CISPA’s work on secure software, hardware, and trustworthy artificial intelligence (learn more here). These projects reflect CISPA’s commitment to developing robust and reliable digital systems that address today’s most pressing challenges.
Empowering Startups for Impact
Another key focus of the visit was CISPA’s commitment to technology transfer and entrepreneurship. During the meeting, several innovative solutions from the CISPA ecosystem were presented, all of which bridge cutting-edge research with real-world applications. The discussion centered on multiple startups addressing different aspects of digital security and data-driven technologies.
In the field of industrial cybersecurity, the upcoming startup GuardSphere, founded by Nazligül Keske, was introduced. The solution focuses on Operational Technology (OT) Security and aims to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats by providing advanced monitoring and threat detection systems for industrial control environments. This initiative is closely linked to the CISPA Founders Fellowship Program, which actively supports the transition from research to entrepreneurship and is exemplified by Keske as an alumna.
In addition, InputLab, founded by Dominik Steinhöfel, presented a platform for generating fully synthetic test data. The solution supports structured formats such as XML, JSON, and OpenAPI, enabling software development and testing without relying on real sensitive data. This ensures GDPR compliance while also systematically covering edge cases and boundary conditions, significantly improving the robustness and security of modern software systems, particularly in highly regulated sectors such as FinTech, healthcare, and public administration.
In the area of media and information security, Detesia, represented by Tim Walita, showcased a deepfake detection platform. The solution combines multiple AI models to reliably identify manipulations in images, videos, and audio files. It is primarily designed for organizations that require trustworthy media authentication, including law enforcement agencies, media organizations, and financial institutions. With its high accuracy and forensic analysis capabilities, Detesia makes an important contribution to combating digital disinformation.
Finally, VISS, presented by Maximilian von Lonski, introduced a hardware-based security concept that protects computer systems by isolating critical components. The technology is currently supported through the NATO-DIANA program, underlining its strategic importance in safeguarding modern digital infrastructures against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
