Whalebone: Strategic-Technological Profile

Whalebone is a European cybersecurity company at the forefront of network-level defense. Founded in Brno, Czech Republic in 2016, it has rapidly gained prominence for its protective DNS technology that blocks malware and phishing threats before they reach end-users. The company’s mission – encapsulated in the motto “#ConnectedMeansProtected” – is to make secure internet access the default condition for millions of people. By partnering with telecommunications providers and public institutions, Whalebone delivers seamless, zero-installation security embedded in the internet connection itself.

This innovative approach has not only attracted over 300 telecom operator deployments worldwide, but also the trust of European authorities. Notably, Whalebone leads the EU’s flagship DNS4EU project to build a secure, privacy-centric DNS service for Europe, underscoring its strategic role in Europe’s digital autonomy. In an era of intensified cyber threats and geopolitical tech competition, Whalebone exemplifies how a European deep-tech startup can offer a sovereign alternative to foreign cybersecurity solutions while integrating with allied networks. It stands as a compelling case of a private Czech company scaling up to reinforce Europe’s collective cyber resilience and strategic independence.

Company Categorization: Whalebone is a private deep-tech scale-up (founded 2016) specializing in proactive DNS network security. Headquartered in the Czech Republic, it is an independent venture-backed company (not an academic spin-off) led by its co-founders. Strategic Technology Alignment: Whalebone’s capabilities align with Europe’s emerging and disruptive technology priorities in Cyber Technologies & Information Warfare. Its DNS-based threat blocking leverages real-time threat intelligence (with elements of AI-driven analysis) to protect telecom and ISP networks at scale.

The company’s solutions span the cyber domain of operations, with potential applicability across land, air, and space communications by securing the underlying network layer.