I Think Security is ready to graduate!

Shared by Dr. Cedric Jeannot

  

With graduation just around the corner, we caught up with Dr. Cedric Jeannot, Founder and CEO of 

I Think Security to capture some of his thoughts on being a client in the Accelerator Program, and 

a resident of the Accelerator Centre.

After finishing graduate school in the United States, I was looking for the best place to launch a tech start up. 

I wasn't ready to work for a big corporation, but instead was interested in building my own security company. 

I had just patented my PhD dissertation and was looking for the right place with the right eco-system. Through my research of the well-known places like Silicon Valley and Singapore, the Accelerator Centre (AC) in Waterloo came up. It had won a Best Community Award in a year prior, and seemed to offer a great support system for a tech company like the one I wanted to build.

I did not know where Waterloo was and had not previously considered Canada. More in-depth research on the Accelerator Centre peaked my interest and with some pro and con analysis, an application was submitted. Within a few weeks, I Think Security received its acceptance into the Accelerator Program. We did what I like to call an "opposite move" (i.e. most companies at the time moved from Canada to the USA) and became "Canadian", starting the journey from having a prototype to building a world class business.

We joined the AC with a patent pending, a prototype and big dreams to change the IT Security market. Now, 

I Think Security has become a recognized name in the data security and tracking space, especially in the financial sector. The company has grown to 11 employees and includes a portfolio of 5 products and services that are used in more than 15 countries. Our products are available in English, French and Spanish, and while the financial and government sectors - our original markets - remain the main drivers of our business, our technologies are now starting to be used in other verticals such as healthcare and education.

We have been part of the Accelerator Program for 3 years, and while there is still a significant amount of work ahead for us, we have accomplished a lot in that time. Being part of the AC community has been a catalyst for us. It has given us support so we could focus on the business while meeting many other entrepreneurs that have since become friends. The mentor program provided guidance and knowledgeable individuals to run ideas by, while the additional networking and social opportunities including lunch and learns, BBQs, etc., strongly contributed to the building of a community for us.