helmon: the made-in-Italy solution for cybersecurity
helmon debuts on the market: operations begin for the new Italian player protecting SMEs from cyber risks
On 4 June, at Palazzo Mezzanotte in Milan, helmon was officially presented: the new Italian startup dedicated to cybersecurity for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Created on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital and Cy4Gate, helmon has the ambitious goal of protecting the 99.4% of Italian companies that make up the country’s productive base (source: Istat) and that are still among the most vulnerable targets of cyber crime: small and medium-sized enterprises.
The event and its speakers and members of the helmon team on stage were introduced by RAI journalist Massimo Cerofolini, who began by saying he was moved to be in the temple of investments, Borsa Italiana, but there to talk about all those investments that disappear because of a click on the wrong link.
A country under attack: alarming figures
The event opened with a talk by Federica Maria Rita Livelli (Business Continuity & Risk Management Consultant / CLUSIT, BCI), who outlined the current state of the Italian market.
Although it represents only 1.8% of global GDP, Italy is the European country most affected by ransomware attacks, with 10% of global attacks (Source: Clusit 2025). SMEs, in particular, are in the crosshairs of cyber criminals due to the lack of structured defences: 60% of them close within six months of an attack, highlighting a systemic fragility that requires an immediate change of pace.
Livelli called for the adoption of a holistic and proactive approach, integrating risk management, business continuity and cybersecurity, in which ongoing training and a culture of security – key levers for organisational resilience – play a central role.
Cybersecurity and regulation: a new paradigm
The second talk was given by Professor Michele Colajanni (Full Professor at the “Department of Computer Science and Engineering” at the University of Bologna), who highlighted the concept of “good regulation”, stressing that NIS2 is in fact good regulation because it forces all companies to organise themselves to defend against potential cyber attacks and incidents. Professor Colajanni also emphasised how increasingly stringent regulation, with European frameworks such as NIS2, DORA and the Cyber Resilience Act, imposes a new level of personal and managerial responsibility on companies when it comes to managing cybersecurity.
A strategic project for the cybersecurity of Italian businesses
The third speaker was Lorenzo Franchini (Senior Partner at CDP Venture Capital SGR), who explained the mission and vision of CDP VC’s Boost Innovation Fund, a fund dedicated to the development of Corporate Venture Building activities, i.e. new ventures that can help tackle the country’s strategic challenges in collaboration with corporates. In this context he spoke about helmon, the result of the collaboration between the Boost Innovation Fund of CDP VC and Cy4Gate which, at a time when Italian SMEs continue to suffer cyber incidents and attacks with devastating impacts, was created to strengthen cybersecurity by offering accessible, tailored and concrete solutions to all those companies that have so far been unable to equip themselves with adequate digital protection.
helmon: simple, tailored and innovative services
The new company was then presented in detail by the helmon team, who described the offering dedicated to SMEs: Guglielmo Carsana, CEO, Andrea Di Pasquale, CTO, Enrico Fazio, COO, and Ruggero Di Mauro, CIO.
- Tailored cybersecurity services, adapted to the company’s digital maturity;
- Transparent pricing, commensurate with the size and real needs of each business;
- Integrated cyber policy to cover residual risks, unique of its kind in Italy;
- Intelligent digital platform, able to detect the company’s needs and suggest the most suitable protection package, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and the technical expertise of the helmon team.
The helmon team also showed two videos that concretely demonstrate the simplicity of the helmon solution, as well as the completeness and transparency of its pricing. A proposition truly designed to make access to cybersecurity easier, overcoming the technical complexity that has so far prevented many SMEs from adopting effective measures.
The voices of client companies
This was followed by the testimonies of three client companies, which shared their experiences by explaining how and why they decided to rely on helmon to protect their digital assets, stating that they are satisfied with the solutions purchased and, above all, feel safe.
Cy4Gate: the bridge between large enterprises and the world of SMEs
The event was closed by Alessia Pisoni (helmon Board Member and Investor Relator at Cy4Gate Group), who highlighted her company’s role as helmon’s industrial and technology partner.
helmon is in fact a strategic extension of the expertise that Cy4Gate has built up in the world of large enterprises, reworked and adapted to democratise access to advanced solutions in the SME space.
This vision is in line with the trends forecast by Gartner: by 2030, over 50% of IT security spending will be devoted to “pre-emptive”, preventive solutions, like those offered by helmon.
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