Northwave

Northwave is the leading cyber security company in the Netherlands. Growing rapidly, with over 150 employees, it has opened its first German headquarters at the business location in Leipzig, alongside Utrecht and Brussels. Eileen Walther manages the Saxon branch and has been steadily building it up since the office opened in April 2020, and the first employees have already been hired.

In the course of the ever-increasing digitalization of far-reaching processes, attacks on the infrastructure of important IT networks are also becoming more frequent. Experience has shown that the entire infrastructure of an organization that has just fallen victim to a cyberattack is paralysed. The cause is often ransomware. A nightmare for those affected: employees can no longer log in, machines and systems do not work. The company or authority often avoids publicizing these attacks and turns to specialists such as Northwave. They quickly send a Computer Emergency Team with forensic experts specializing in security on site to limit or repair the damage.

"In recent years, we have been approached more and more often by customers from Germany," recalls Eileen Walther. "In some cases, cyber insurers and claims processors who had had good experiences with us also called us. This led to the decision to open a branch in Germany. Major cities such as Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin were considered for the shortlist of locations. The decision was ultimately made in favor of Leipzig: "The city is very centrally located. As we work throughout Germany, short distances are very important. Leipzig is very well connected in terms of infrastructure. It is a beautiful city worth living in, which makes it attractive for talented employees," says Eileen Walther. Many companies from the IT sector have opted for the Saxon location, which also has an impact on the development of digitalization and skilled workers. For Eileen Walther, the proximity to the headquarters of the Federal Cyber Agency at Leipzig/Halle Airport was also important. Leipzig was also known for the Chaos Communication Congress, which takes place here every year, even before the branch was founded.

Eileen Walther turned to Invest Region Leipzig GmbH for further support in establishing herself at the location: "Invest Region Leipzig was mainly able to help us get in touch with networks. For example, they brought us together with local personnel service providers. As we are not yet very familiar with the location, this gave us a good overview. The Invest Region Leipzig contact network was also able to help us connect with the IT Cluster Central Germany, which was exciting for us to join," says Eileen Walther.

Northwave is currently working in a temporary office in Leipzig: "Our contact at Invest Region Leipzig is supporting us in our search for larger, suitable premises in order to continue growing," says Eileen Walther. 30 employees are planned for the location over the next three years. For the branch manager, it is an exciting development that is currently taking place at the location: "More and more companies, especially from the IT sector, are coming to Leipzig. There are many talented specialists, and they are also attracted by the upturn." Northwave is mainly looking for IT experts or specialists who already have cyber security experience and have already worked in the IT security sector. "However, students who are fresh out of university and have already specialized in security during their studies can also apply to us," emphasizes Eileen Walther. The company is also interested in employees from account management.

Northwave's goal is to confirm in Germany the trust that the company has gained in the Netherlands as a comprehensive partner for organizations that want to optimize their security. For Eileen Walther, her vision is clear: "I hope that we can expand our network of customers and partners here, both throughout Germany and regionally. For us, the trust of our customers is fundamental. The fact that they trust us with their security is our motivation! We want to expand here in Leipzig and thus also contribute to the growing economy in the region."