ZKB Bug Bounty Challenge from 30.4.-7.5.

A concentrated load of digital know-how for the BugBountyHub board of directors

Twint-Co founder Thierry Kneissler and placeB founder Terry Fehlmann strengthen our IT security start-up on a strategic level

With Thierry Kneissler and Terry Fehlmann, two proven digitalization experts are joining our Board of Directors. Kneissler was a co-founder of Twint, the app that revolutionized payment transactions in Switzerland and is now widely used from the Bahnhofsstrasse in Zurich to the remotest Alpine valleys. With placeB, Fehlmann has catapulted the self-storage business into the digital age, which prompted one of the biggest newspapers in Switzerland 20minuten to write of the world's most modern screed. Together with the two founders Rolf Wagner and Marcel Eyer, Kneissler and Fehlmann form the newly formed Board of Directors of BugBountyHub.

74eb57d3-9141-4b5f-b99e-41f82dbb1714_portrait_thierry_kneissler_2020_2.jpeg
Thierry Kneissler, Twint Co-Founder
ce372834-4a4c-4443-b3a3-a75b2d06aa75_Fehlmann-Terry_20220214_0083.jpeg
Terry Fehlmann, founder placeB

As a Swiss Bug Bounty Platform, BugBountHub's goal is to protect companies, government institutions, educational institutions, as well as private individuals and their applications from cyber attacks! "Finding and eliminating bugs before they cause damage is what it's all about," says CEO Pawel Kowalski.

Finding and eliminating bugs before they cause damage is what it's all about.
Pawel Kowalski, CEO

He is one of four founding members of BugBountyHub. After earning a master's degree in computer science at ETH Zurich, he first worked as a software developer for UBS, among other companies, before helping to found several IT startups. This is also how he met software engineer Marcel Eyer, with whom he founded a software company and realized various projects together. 

The paths of Kowalski, Michael Schläpfer and Rolf Wagner already crossed at ETH. They have come together again to build their own bug bounty platform. While Kowalski and Eyer bring the development expertise, Schläpfer and Wagner have been successfully working in the cyber security field for years. Michael Schläpfer holds a doctorate in computer science from the ETH and is involved in information security research. In addition, he and Rolf Wagner teach as lecturers for application security at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW. 

Our new Chairman of the Board, Terry Fehlmann, is convinced that BugBountyHub is setting a new standard in Cyber Security. Fehlmann says: "I am very pleased to be part of this mission from now on." After all, the need for competent IT security partners is huge.

Cyber security is a topic that can no longer be treated stepmotherly.
Terry Fehlmann, Chairman of the Board

The pandemic has accelerated the digitization of society - including crime: the number of cyber attacks has increased exponentially in the last two years. Fehlmann says:. "This has also greatly increased the risk of an attack on one's own company. Cyber security is a topic that can no longer be treated stepmotherly." Because in addition to the financial damage, a cyber attack can also lead to a high loss of reputation.

To prevent cyber attacks, BugBountyHub relies on the power of the crowd. Within a few months, we have succeeded in building a community of over 600 international security experts and hackers. And our community continues to grow every day. Numerous customers have already benefited from this concentrated load of expertise: BLS counts on BugBountyHub to secure its applications, as does the online magazine Republik or the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland.

The undisputed benefits of a bug bounty program can be complemented by other services
Thierry Kneissler, Member of the Board

The reshuffle of the board of directors is also accompanied by a realignment of BugBountyHub's strategy. Twint co-founder Thierry Kneissler says, "Working with customers has shown that the need for innovative cybersecurity solutions is huge. However, the undisputed benefits of a bug bounty program can be complemented by other services to ensure protection across all business units and development phases." 

BugBountyHub is redefining digital security and news is to be expected. Several milestones are coming up: In particular, we would like to lay the foundation for expansion into the DACH region with a first major funding round. 

Stay up to date and sign up for our news service and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

LinkedIn profiles of the members of the board of directors and founders: