IoT/OT Security Testing: A Growing Market and an Innovative Approach

Test of Things, a Finnish startup specializing in cybersecurity for connected devices, has announced the closure of a €1.2 million Pre-Seed funding round. The investment is earmarked to support the development of a platform that promises to revolutionize how companies manage the security of their IoT (Internet of Things) and OT (Operational Technology) products.

The connected device sector is rapidly expanding, ranging from smart locks to hospital monitors and industrial equipment. However, ensuring their security presents a significant challenge. Currently, cybersecurity testing and compliance documentation are predominantly manual processes, requiring highly skilled experts, making them expensive and difficult to scale in the face of the increasing proliferation of connected products on the market.

Automation as a Response to Digital Threats

Marko Kaasila, CEO and co-founder of Test of Things, emphasizes that product cybersecurity is in everyone's interest, but the current approach – manual, unsystematic, and expensive – is unsustainable. Every insecure device that makes it to market can become a potential vulnerability, an "unlocked door" for cybercriminals to exploit, potentially accessing personal data, factory operational systems, building controls, or even critical infrastructure like the electricity grid.

To address this issue, Test of Things is developing an AI-powered platform that automates end-to-end cybersecurity compliance testing. Instead of weeks of manual work by expert teams, the company's software handles the heavy lifting, running continuous tests, flagging issues early, and generating the compliance documentation that regulators increasingly require. This approach not only reduces costs and time but also improves the overall reliability of devices.

Market Context and Strategic Implications for Infrastructure

According to Sami Ahvenniemi, Partner at Vendep Capital, the market for IoT and OT security and compliance testing is entering a high-growth phase, driven by two converging megatrends. The first is the increasing integration of industrial control systems (IIoT and OT networks) into enterprise IT and cloud ecosystems. The second is the rising regulatory and operational risk environment surrounding critical infrastructure, manufacturing, energy, and utilities.

For companies evaluating on-premise deployments or hybrid solutions, the security of connected devices is a fundamental pillar for data sovereignty and compliance. The automated security testing offered by Test of Things can reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) associated with security management, ensuring that products brought to market are robust and compliant from the design phase. This is particularly relevant for infrastructure architects and DevOps leads who must ensure the integrity of complex and often air-gapped environments.

Future Outlook and Impact on Digital Security

The fresh capital will be used to expand the engineering team and accelerate platform development. Rauli Kaksonen, CTO and co-founder, stated that the investment will allow the company to focus on product development and begin helping manufacturers earn the trust of customers and authorities with secure products. This translates into a competitive advantage for manufacturers, who can bring more secure products to market faster, and greater peace of mind for end-users.

Test of Things' initiative aligns with the growing need for resilient and secure digital infrastructures. In an era where the attack surface expands with every new connected device, solutions that automate and standardize security verification are essential to protect not only corporate data but also the very foundations of our digital society. The ability to ensure device compliance and security from production is a crucial step towards a more reliable and protected IoT/OT ecosystem.