Hear from Oort and .406 Ventures on why cybersecurity companies thrive in Boston

Did you hear? The TechCrunch Live crew is taking a virtual trip to the Northeast. On Monday, February 27 (that’s in a couple days!), we’re hosting a special, extended TechCrunch Live event focused on Boston, and you’re invited to participate. Register for the free event right here.

The event starts with a conversation with Matt Caulfield, founder and CEO of Oort, and one of his investors, Greg Dracon, partner at .406 Ventures. I’m thrilled to have them on the show. Boston has long been home to security companies, and we’re going to talk through the ins and outs of the local ecosystem and why founders should look to Boston when starting a cybersecurity company. It’s a critical topic: Startups are not made in a vacuum and often benefit from a frothy local community of like-minded companies and entrepreneurs.

Greg Dracon has been with Boston’s .406 Ventures since 2007 and investing as a partner since 2013. He’s a board director at multiple security companies, including Oort, KSOC, ThreatX, Tausight and Sevco Security. He’s also on the advisory board for the Advanced Cyber Security Center, where he previously served on the board of directors. 

Matt Caulfield brings a unique point of view to this conversation. I want to hear about his experiences founding Oort in Boston, and participating in MassChallenge’s Boston program. Prior to founding Oort, he spent 10 years at Cisco, ending up leading the company’s Boston’s Innovation Team.

Questions I want to ask:

• When founding Oort, what local resources or programs made a difference?
• What’s unique about Boston, and why would someone start a company in Boston over NYC or SF?
• Who should people know in the local area, and what events should founders attend?
• What’s a good founder-fit for the Boston area and .406 Ventures?

And I need you to ask questions too. Register for the event here, and during the interview, I’ll ask questions from event attendees.

Following this conversation, TechCrunch’s Ron Miller is speaking with the CEO of MassChallenge, Cait Brumme, on Boston’s deep community resources available for startup founders. Next, legendary roboticist Marc Raibert is speaking to TechCrunch’s Hardware Editor Brian Heater on why he built Boston Dynamics in Boston and explains his latest venture, leading the Hyundai AI Institute. Lastly, the event concludes with a pitch-off with three Boston-area startups.