Belgian cybersecurity company ACEN is developing OCaaS (Open Source Cybersecurity-as-a-Service), a platform that enables organizations to build their cybersecurity on open-source technology without having to invest in a fully specialised team and infrastructure.
The platform is new to the Belgian market, aimed at mid-sized organizations, public institutions, and companies in regulated sectors. The ambition is to expand beyond Belgium and grow into a European platform.
In an initial phase, ACEN is investing one million eruos in the platform’s foundations.
“Digital sovereignty is no longer an abstract European concept. It is a challenge that is becoming increasingly urgent in boardrooms today,” says Wouter Decruy, Managing Director at ACEN. “With OCaaS, we provide organisations with a practical answer: control over their own technology and data, without the need to build all the required expertise themselves.“
Europe seeks more control over its technology
In early June, the European Commission presented a package of measures aimed at reducing Europe’s technological dependence on non-European providers.
The initiative follows concerns that European companies and public institutions spend approximately 264 billion euros each year on digital products and services from non-EU countries, while three US hyperscalers account for more than 70% of the European cloud market.
As a result, Europe’s open-source strategy explicitly identifies cybersecurity as one of the key areas where more European, open-source-based alternatives are needed.
OCaaS, unique in Belgium
Via OCaaS, Belgian cybersecurity company ACEN aims to provide an answer to this challenge. The platform brings together security capabilities such as identity and access management, monitoring, detection, and vulnerability management, built on open-source technology and operationally managed by ACEN.
This gives organisations greater control over their data, vendors, and technology choices without requiring them to take responsibility for day-to-day operations. A cybersecurity platform with this combination of characteristics does not currently exist in Belgium.
“Organizations today often have to choose between a commercial platform from a large, non-European vendor or building and maintaining an open-source environment themselves. However, limited time and resources can make it difficult to maintain a strong security posture. Through OCaaS, they retain control over their data and technology, while ACEN ensures the platform remains secure and up to date.”
– Wouter Decruy, Managing Director @ACEN
Ambition: To grow into a European platform
In an initial phase, ACEN is investing around one million euros in the platform. This investment is focused on building the foundations of the platform. 180,000 euros is supported by VLAIO, the Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency. The platform is currently under development, with the first pilot projects planned for next year. It marks the beginning of a broader and larger platform in which ACEN will continue to invest.
“With OCaaS, we aim to build an open and sovereign cybersecurity platform that brings together powerful open-source technologies as a fully fledged alternative to the major commercial cybersecurity players. We are starting in the Benelux and then plan to expand into the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). From there, we aim to scale across Europe step by step over time,” besluit Decruy.
About ACEN
ACEN is a Belgium-based provider of cybersecurity services and technology, delivering pragmatic and impactful security solutions for organizations of all sizes.
By combining deep expertise in identity and cybersecurity with hands-on technical execution, ACEN creates measurable business value. Through an independent approach to technology, the company designs tailored end-to-end solutions that help organisations remain resilient in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
