What was the impetus for starting it? One dash?
The impetus for starting Onedash was primarily a recognition of the huge gap in cybersecurity capabilities between large enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As a cybersecurity leader with extensive experience across companies of various sizes, I am aware that small and medium-sized businesses face limited budgets and access to specialized cybersecurity personnel and are less susceptible to cyber threats compared to larger enterprises. I observed firsthand the challenges that are becoming more vulnerable.
This cybersecurity gap gave us the idea to create a solution specifically tailored to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Our vision is to democratize cybersecurity and make it affordable and available to businesses of all sizes, with a focus on providing simple, affordable, and scalable solutions. The aim of this approach is to enable small and medium-sized businesses to confidently deal with the complexities of cybersecurity, ensuring robust protection against digital threats and promoting a secure business environment. The aim is not only to equip SMBs with the defensive tools they need to protect their digital assets, but also to incorporate a proactive cybersecurity mindset to move from a reactive to a proactive defense strategy and help SMBs protect their digital assets. The aim was to ensure that they had access to appropriate resources and support.
Porto Business School’s Digital MBA then acted as an incubator to mature this entrepreneurial project. The support and encouragement from my colleagues was great. Additionally, the feedback and powerful insights from our experienced and wonderful faculty were crucial.
Tell us about your business – what it is, what you aim to achieve, who you work with, how you approach your customers, etc.
One dash is a cybersecurity platform specifically designed to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses by providing affordable, accessible, and scalable cybersecurity solutions. At the core of Onedash's offering is a cutting-edge cybersecurity SaaS platform that provides small and medium-sized businesses with a comprehensive suite of tools to power their digital infrastructure. This includes a powerful security posture assessment module that assesses both cloud-based and on-premises infrastructure, uses business data to enhance security insights, and provides unique Contains an AI module that provides customized security recommendations tailored to your risk. and operations. The Security Compliance module ensures that your security practices comply with current standards. The platform also features an interactive dashboard that provides real-time insights into your SMB's security posture, allowing you to quickly identify vulnerabilities and track improvements over time. We also have a variety of educational resources to help businesses understand and manage cybersecurity risks more effectively.
Onedash will initially focus on startups and scaleups as its primary customer segment, leveraging the extensive startup community and driving organic growth starting in Porto. This strategy is specifically tailored to resonate with cloud-native startups and scale-ups and focuses on their specific cybersecurity needs. This bottom-up approach is critical to building trust and understanding the evolving needs of these companies, allowing Onedash to improve and adapt its products in real time. Additionally, this community-focused strategy fosters word-of-mouth marketing, a powerful tool to further expand Onedash's reach and influence.
Onedash offers its platform through a multi-tiered subscription model. This includes a free version for businesses starting their cybersecurity journey, a standard subscription of €250 per month to grow their business, and a custom-priced premium tier for businesses requiring advanced security features. It will be. On a large scale. This pricing structure ensures scalability and affordability to meet a wide range of business needs.
What are the next steps for Onedash (funding, start-up)?
For Onedash, the roadmap to success and impact includes a multi-pronged approach centered on securing additional funding, continuing to enhance the platform's capabilities, expanding its market presence, and cultivating a loyal customer base. It is included.
Currently in the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development stage, Onedash is preparing to bring its innovative platform to market in Q2 2024. A small number of customers are already using the closed beta of the platform, and the feedback received has been overwhelmingly positive, citing the intuitive nature of the interface, the effectiveness of the security posture assessment tools, and the customized security recommendations. It highlights the features of the platform that provide the following:
In parallel with the development of the MVP, Onedash is preparing a pre-seed funding round aimed at driving the next stage of development and scaling the business. This funding round is significant for Onedash as it seeks to secure the financial backing it needs to accelerate product enhancements, expand market reach, and strengthen its infrastructure to support its growing user base. This is a step.
What has been your biggest challenge so far and how did you overcome it?
Balancing a comprehensive and feature-rich cybersecurity platform with accessibility and ease of use for small and medium-sized businesses was a key challenge for Onedash. This balance is important to ensure the adoption and effectiveness of platforms that improve cybersecurity defenses for small and medium-sized businesses.
Rooted in a user-centered design philosophy, Onedash makes the platform's interface intuitive, simplifies complex cybersecurity tasks, and ensures ease of use for small and medium-sized businesses with varying levels of technical expertise. This commitment to simplicity and clarity is achieved through continuous user testing and feedback loops to ensure the platform is easy to navigate and effective for our target users. Onedash systematically collects, analyzes, and acts on insights provided by early adopters to ensure our solutions evolve to meet the real-world needs of small and medium-sized businesses.
How does Onedash answer unmet needs?
Traditionally, the field of cybersecurity has been dominated by solutions designed for large organizations, often with high costs, complex management requirements, and a one-size-fits-all approach. This leaves small and medium-sized businesses vulnerable because they have limited budgets, lack a dedicated IT security team, and face distinct threats that are different from larger enterprises. Onedash's approach is transformational, making cybersecurity accessible to businesses of all sizes and abilities.
Understanding that small and medium-sized businesses operate in diverse industries and face specific challenges, Onedash tailors our services to suit the size of your business, the nature of the data you handle, or the specific risks associated with your particular industry. We offer adjustable, customizable and scalable solutions.
Onedash does more than just provide tools, with a focus on education and empowerment for small and medium-sized businesses. Through a wealth of educational resources, the platform helps businesses better understand cybersecurity risks, adopt best practices, and foster a positive security culture within their organizations. This educational component is critical to enabling small businesses to take charge of their cybersecurity, reduce vulnerabilities, and increase resilience to attacks.
Additionally, Onedash helps small and medium-sized businesses navigate the complex regulations and standards governing cybersecurity, providing features that help them maintain compliance. This not only protects your company from potential legal repercussions, but also strengthens your overall security posture.
By holistically addressing these previously unmet needs, Onedash not only strengthens the cybersecurity environment of small and medium-sized businesses, but also ensures that they can safely thrive in an increasingly interconnected world. To do.
What does the future hold?
Looking to the future, Onedash is poised to redefine the cybersecurity landscape for small and medium-sized businesses around the world. Central to that vision is integrating advanced technologies such as AI and ML to enhance threat detection and response capabilities. This technology evolution aims to provide small and medium-sized businesses with proactive and predictive security measures to ensure they stay ahead of cyber threats. Onedash's ambitions extend beyond its current markets, with global expansion plans to make its innovative cybersecurity solutions available to small and medium-sized businesses around the world. This includes adapting the platform to meet the diverse cybersecurity needs and compliance requirements of different regions, establishing Onedash as a global leader in this space.
Strategic partnerships play a key role in Onedash's growth as they enable us to collaborate with technology providers to integrate complementary services, expand market access, and co-create innovative solutions. Additionally, Onedash is committed to fostering a strong community and ecosystem around its platform, facilitating knowledge sharing and collaborative problem-solving among small and medium-sized businesses, cybersecurity professionals, and technology partners. This community-driven approach aims to strengthen the collective cybersecurity posture of the small and medium-sized business sector.
What advice would you give to other founders or future founders?
For founders and future founders navigating the complicated path of entrepreneurship, there is one piece of advice that stands out. It's about embracing resilience and adaptability. The journey to building and growing a successful startup is full of uncertainties, challenges, and setbacks. Markets evolve, technology advances, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Resilience allows you to weather storms, pick yourself up after failures, and learn from them. Adaptability allows you to pivot when necessary and see change not as a threat, but as an opportunity to innovate and maintain the status quo.
In the context of Onedash, this advice is based on the continued evolution of the platform to meet the ever-changing cybersecurity needs of small and medium-sized businesses, a strategic shift to embrace the global market, and user feedback and technological advances. reflected in our ability to adapt our products based on Founders need to foster a culture of resilience and adaptability within their teams, encouraging open-mindedness, continuous learning, and flexibility. This mindset allows you to turn challenges into opportunities for growth, innovation, and long-term success.
Finally, a more personal question! What is your daily routine or rule currently?
My day starts early in the morning when my family is still sleeping. It is a moment of clarity where I can reflect in complete silence and set intentions for what lies ahead. This is usually followed by a reading session until the family wakes up. I'm currently reading “The Supercommunicator” by Charles Duhigg. After completing your family routine, plan your day by reviewing your tasks and setting clear goals, allocate time for different tasks to ensure focused work, increase productivity, and stay alert. Minimize clutter.
I like to tackle the most difficult (and sometimes boring) tasks first while my mind is fresh. Then continue with the most exciting tasks: strategic planning, brainstorming, and finding customers and investors. Lunchtime is a great opportunity to have lunch with clients, partners, former academic and professional colleagues, and connect with my network. After lunch, I take a 30-minute nap whenever possible and a midday break to reset my mind and prepare for the afternoon's work. During the second half of my working day, I enjoy collaborating with my team. During this time, I try to be available to my team, address concerns, and solve challenges together.
At the end of each shift, spend some time reviewing what you accomplished and what could be improved. This reflection not only acknowledges successes but also identifies learning opportunities and areas for growth.
After work, relax by participating in family activities or personal hobbies, spending quality time doing activities that contribute to your overall health and well-being.
I do some light reading before bed, mentally prepare myself for the next day, write down some important tasks and set priorities so that I have clear direction the next morning. is often greeted.
Luis Pereira is the CEO and founder of. One dash.
