How to scale with security?

From Entrepreneurship Week 19-23 Jan 2026
Day Three Lightning Talk Highlights

Cloud and AI Are Reshaping How Companies Grow

A central insight from the session was that cloud platforms — especially when combined with AI — no longer just support products. They actively shape how startups build, price, and go to market.

Alice Boström highlighted that AI influences both how startups work and what they deliver, forcing founders to rethink traditional models around development, monetisation, and customer value.

“AI affects both how startups build and what we build.”
— Alice Boström 

This shift pushes companies away from static pricing models toward outcome-based thinking — where customers increasingly pay for results rather than access.

Security Is a Question of Responsibility, Not Tools

Alexandra Kekkonen reframed security as a leadership and product decision rather than a technical afterthought. Her core message was that trust is created long before a breach ever happens — through conscious choices made early in product design.

“When people trust you with their data and their money or their time, that will become expectations.”

— Alexandra Kekkonen 

As products scale, complexity increases — and without deliberate security decisions, growth simply amplifies risk.

“Most security problems are not from bad decisions, but they’re from not making decisions at all.”

— Alexandra Kekkonen 

The takeaway for founders was clear: security is not about eliminating risk entirely, but about understanding how risk evolves as products, users, and data expand.

Scaling Securely Means Deciding Early

Rather than advocating heavy tooling or advanced frameworks, Alexandra emphasised simplicity and foresight. Decisions around access, data separation, and identity management — made early — reduce the need for costly re-engineering later.

“Start simple. Get the basics right.”

— Alexandra Kekkonen 

This approach positions security as an enabler of growth rather than a blocker.

Why the Partner Ecosystem Matters More Than Founders Think

Mathias Martinsson added an often-missing layer to the scaling conversation: ecosystem design. His contribution clarified how Microsoft’s partner-led model allows startups to scale without having to master everything internally.

“Microsoft are a platform company. So instead of selling directly to customers they rely on the partners and partnerships that they have out there.”

— Mathias Martinsson 

In this model, each actor focuses on what they do best — platform innovation, distribution and enablement, or local trusted expertise.

“Everybody will focus on what they are best on.”

— Mathias Martinsson 

For startups, this means growth does not require building every capability in-house. Strategic partnerships can reduce friction, accelerate credibility, and provide access to customers and markets earlier than would otherwise be possible.