The two founders, Florian Entleitner and Alexander Moosmann, met whilst studying Information Technology & Systems Management. Together, they worked on projects, developed concepts and discovered their passion for IT security. The idea for the start-up eventually emerged as part of Florian’s Master’s thesis.

"In my Master’s thesis, I looked in depth at so-called honeypots, a sub-field of deception technology. In the process, I realised just how much potential this approach holds."

Florian Entleitner

They pitched their idea to the FHStartup Centre and were accepted into the Startup Factory of the Startup Salzburg network in autumn 2025. In March 2026, they founded their company ‘Hivesense’. ‘Hive’ is the English word for a beehive, whilst ‘sense’ refers to detection.

Hivesense develops what is known as ‘deception technology’, a form of cyber defence that is not yet widely used. The principle is as follows: ‘tripwires’ are strategically placed within a company’s network. Attackers moving within the system trigger these and are detected.

“We’re not building a traditional protective wall. We’re deliberately laying false trails and waiting for someone to trip over them – much like a tripwire with a little bell attached to it.”

Florian Entleitner

“Many security solutions only detect known threats,” explains Alexander Moosmann. “We go one step further: we detect behaviour and interact directly with attackers.” Hivesense tackles the problem right where it’s most critical: inside the network.

The founders are particularly committed to the European perspective: whilst many technologies are hosted in the US, Hivesense consistently relies on European infrastructure – with hosting within the EU and partners from the European Economic Area – as a clear commitment to digital sovereignty.

The team is currently working on prototypes and is looking for companies that would like to test the product and help develop it further. The target audience: medium-sized companies with their own IT infrastructure, particularly those in the manufacturing sector. “Production environments in particular have specific requirements that are often not adequately protected,” says Alexander. “This is where we can deliver real added value.”