WatchGuard Names Five Winners in $10 Million AI Innovation Challenge
Strong global participation reinforces MSP demand for practical AI innovations that improve security outcomes and operational efficiency
SEATTLE, Aug. 12, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SEATTLE – August 12, 2026 – WatchGuard® Technologies, a global leader in cybersecurity for managed service providers (MSPs), today announced the winners of its AI Innovation Challenge, a global competition designed to help shape the future of AI-powered cybersecurity. In recognition of the exceptional quality of submissions received, WatchGuard selected five winners (listed alphabetically): CNS Outsourcing IT (Poland), Comnet System (Japan), {e}Mazzanti Technologies (United States), Metrocom Ltd (New Zealand), and Offsite OÃœ (Estonia). The winners will be recognized at WatchGuard Impact North America in Nashville, Tennessee, where they will engage with company leaders and be celebrated for their contributions to the future of AI-powered cybersecurity.
Launched as part of WatchGuard's $10 million AI innovation initiative, the challenge invited MSPs and IT professionals to submit ideas for AI agents, workflows, and automations that could help security teams work faster, operate more efficiently, and better protect customers. The competition generated hundreds of submissions from 19 countries across three continents. Participating countries included the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Japan, Switzerland, Denmark, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Sweden, Estonia, Poland, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and Norway, demonstrating broad global interest in practical AI applications for cybersecurity.
The selected winners reflect several of the most compelling themes that emerged throughout the competition, including opportunities to improve operational efficiency, streamline security management, strengthen cyber resilience, and help MSPs deliver greater value to customers.
“These submissions exceeded our expectations and reinforced what we've long believed: the most valuable innovations come directly from the MSP community,” said Joe Smolarski, CEO of WatchGuard Technologies. “Our partners are closest to the operational challenges and opportunities shaping cybersecurity today. Rather than selecting a single winner, we chose to recognize all five finalists because each represents a compelling vision for how AI can help security teams deliver stronger outcomes, operate more efficiently, and better serve their customers.”
WatchGuard's AI and product teams will continue reviewing finalist concepts and broader submission trends to inform future innovation and product development efforts.
The AI Innovation Challenge is one component of WatchGuard's broader investment in AI-driven innovation. The company recently launched Rai, its agentic AI digital workforce designed specifically for MSPs, and announced a multi-model frontier AI strategy that provides WatchGuard security teams access to advanced capabilities from leading AI providers, including OpenAI and Anthropic.
The MSP community is invited to join WatchGuard in Nashville October 5th-7th to help recognize the winners and learn how WatchGuard is building what’s next in cybersecurity.
Marketbridge PR for WatchGuard WatchGuard Technologies, Inc WatchGuard@Marketbridge.com
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