Eindhoven-based deep-tech cybersecurity specialist Sandgrain has announced the appointment of Jan Jager as chief executive officer, effective 1 November. The company’s Cyberrock solution delivers advanced security for IoT devices, focusing on key sectors such as industrial, critical infrastructure and aerospace & defense. Jager is to accelerate adoption through customer collaboration, strategic partnerships and international growth. He succeeds Charles Smit, who served as interim CEO and will return to his role on the supervisory board.
Founded in 2019 by industry veterans, Sandgrain builds on an idea once co-conceived by Mapper. It uses a unique combination of manufacturing technologies to hard-code the identity of a chip so that it can never be altered. Each Sandgrain IC is physically unique and 1043 physically unique chips can be produced – more than there are grains of sand on the entire earth.
Cyberrock combines such an IC with a secure cloud platform. A symmetrical challenge-response authentication scheme verifies the identity of a device using the immutable and globally unique ID of the embedded Sandgrain chip, linked to an enclave holding the corresponding secret keys. The cloud platform manages real-time identity and authentication of devices. Thus, the solution enables organizations to establish and verify authentic device identities, authenticate connected devices and support trusted interactions throughout their operational lifetime.
Jager is an entrepreneur and business leader who has founded and built technology companies. His experience spans business development, strategic partnerships and bringing new propositions to market. As Sandgrain enters its next phase of commercial growth, the new CEO’s priority will be to translate Cyberrock’s capabilities into practical applications. Jager: “By working closely with customers and partners, we want to identify where Cyberrock can make the greatest difference, accelerate adoption and build sustainable commercial growth.”
