Katzcy

What Katzcy does

Katzcy is a privately held, SWaM/WBENC/SBA WOSB-certified cybersecurity marketing and workforce development firm headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 11-50 employees. Founded and led by CEO Jessica Gulick, the company operates as a community of five branded programs: PlayCyber (workforce development through games), US Cyber Games (home of the US Cyber Team, operating in cooperation with NICE/NIST and competing at the International Cybersecurity Challenge), Wicked6 (an annual event for women in cybersecurity), Katzcy Marketing (growth-marketing services for cybersecurity firms), and the Cyber Esports Foundation (esports leagues, competitive games, and cyber-game research). The White House acknowledged Katzcy's contribution to the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy in 2023.

The company generates revenue from three professional-services streams: marketing consulting and growth-hacking engagements for cybersecurity firms, technology startups, and government contractors; event management including the RSAC Quantum Breakfast, CyberOPSTunity pitch competitions, and Cyber Career Exploration Camps; and workforce development programs delivered with partners such as SANS and the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu. The technology stack is third-party — SharpSpring and HubSpot for marketing automation, Google Analytics for web analytics — with no proprietary platform; service offerings include Growth Strategy Sessions, Part-Time CMO engagements, Event Marketing Services, and a free website audit as a top-of-funnel acquisition tool. Pricing is quote-based across services.

Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: Katzcy's owned games, competitions, and conferences build brand authority and a pipeline into Katzcy Marketing engagements, supported by content marketing (blog, news portal, webinars, Cybersecurity Conference Calendar) and earned media (OODAcast, DCA Live, eForensics Magazine, ITSP Magazine). The named team of roughly 9 visible professionals pairs cybersecurity practitioner depth (US Air Force veteran, NICE Skills Competition co-chair, prior IBM Watson commercialization) with senior B2B marketing experience. Multi-jurisdiction small/minority/women-owned certifications unlock set-aside procurement in Virginia and at the federal level, supporting expansion into government contractor work.

Name

Katzcy

Legal name

Katzcy, LLC

Website

https://katzcy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Katzcy is a Virginia-based cybersecurity marketing and workforce development firm operating five community brands — PlayCyber, US Cyber Games, Wicked6, Katzcy Marketing, and Cyber Esports Foundation — serving cybersecurity firms, startups, and government contractors with go-to-market consulting, events, and cyber-games-based workforce programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Marketing Services

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMABAE

Gaming & Virtual World Communities

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Social Networks & Online Communities

Keywords

• Cybersecurity marketing services
• Cyber workforce development
• Cybersecurity events management
• Growth hacking consulting
• Cybersecurity esports competitions

Headquarters

HQ city

Reston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Marketing Consulting Services: Growth hacking, strategic marketing, positioning, and go-to-market consulting services for cybersecurity and technology companies
2. Event Management: Organizing and hosting cybersecurity competitions, games, esports events, and industry conference activities including RSAC breakfast events
3. Workforce Development Programs: Cyber career camps, training programs, and workforce upskilling/reskilling initiatives through partnerships with organizations like Cyberjutsu and SANS

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Katzcy is a community of brands that provides cybersecurity-focused marketing services and cyber workforce development programs. The Katzcy Marketing brand delivers growth hacking, lead generation, positioning, messaging, and go-to-market consulting to cybersecurity firms, technology startups, and government contractors. The firm's other brands (PlayCyber, US Cyber Games, Wicked6, Cyber Esports Foundation) design and operate cyber games, competitions, esports leagues, and events aimed at growing and diversifying the cybersecurity talent pipeline.

Product overview

Katzcy is a community of brands that promotes, supports, and advocates for cybersecurity workforce growth and diversification through cyber games, competitions, esports, events, and marketing. The portfolio consists of five distinct brands: PlayCyber (workforce development through games), US Cyber Games (home of the US Cyber Team competing at the International Cybersecurity Challenge), Wicked6 (annual event for women in cybersecurity), Katzcy Marketing (growth marketing services for cyber firms), and Cyber Esports Foundation (cyber esports leagues and competitive games). Additional offerings include Cyber Career Exploration Camps, Growth Strategy Sessions, Event Marketing Services, Part-Time CMO Services, and the Cybersecurity Conference Calendar resource.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PlayCyber: Brand focused on growing cyber workforce through games and hands-on experiences, bringing together cyber professionals, game platform providers, and training programs to deliver workforce events
• US Cyber Games
• Wicked6
• Katzcy Marketing
• Cyber Esports Foundation

Products and services

• Katzcy Marketing Growth marketing services for cybersecurity firms offering expertise in lead generation, positioning, messaging, and marketing operations. Specializes in cybersecurity to swiftly tackle client challenges with high-quality results.
• PlayCyber A social impact initiative that builds the cybersecurity workforce through games, designing hands-on experiences by bringing together cyber professionals, game platform providers, and globally recognized training programs to deliver workforce events that drive high-paying jobs.
• US Cyber Games Home of the US Cyber Team, bringing together elite cyber athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to scout, train, and send a US Cyber Team to compete at the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC), operated in cooperation with the NICE program at NIST.
• Wicked6 Signature annual three-day hack-and-chat event crafted exclusively for women in cybersecurity, featuring cyber games, expert career and tech speakers, and round-the-clock networking designed to inspire, educate, and unite women shaping the future of cybersecurity.
• Cyber Esports Foundation Organization that fuses esports, athletics, and cybersecurity through Leagues, Competitive Games, and Cyber Game Research, creating new cyber career pathways, providing a safe place to hack, and developing cyber game research.
• Growth Strategy Sessions Growth hacking consulting services that place seasoned marketing executives with clients to assess current marketing situation, provide solutions to critical marketing challenges, and strategically advise on effective buildout of marketing functions.
• Part-Time CMO Services Fractional CMO services providing strategic expertise for brand positioning, marketing communications, user acquisition, product marketing, events, and research and analytics.
• Event Marketing Services Marketing services available for both in-person and virtual events including booth design, promotional materials, web design, email campaigns, on-site help, and logistics support.
• Cyber Career Exploration Camp A hosted cyber career exploration camp through which participants learn about cybersecurity job roles and explore how playing cyber games can lead to high-paying jobs in the cybersecurity industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• 54% website traffic increase and >4000% spike in registered leads for Dark Cubed campaign
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• NICE/NISTflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Cyber Games was founded in 2021 in cooperation with the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The program brings together elite cyber athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to help scout, train, and send a US Cyber Team to compete at the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC).
• SANScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Cyberjutsu and SANS to successfully attract qualified applicants into a 9-month training program to upskill and reskill COVID-impacted professionals into cyber careers as part of the VA Cyber Skills initiative.
• CyberjutsucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWomen's Society of Cyberjutsu partnership for the VA Cyber Skills training program addressing workforce development for COVID-impacted professionals.
• Standish Cyber CorporationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosted the 2018 CyberOPSTunity pitch competition at RSA Conference along with event sponsor Interfocus Technologies. Standish Cyber Corporation CEO Mary Beth Borgwing participated as judge and co-host.
• Dark CubedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKatzcy partnered with Dark Cubed on a two-week IoT security awareness campaign using marketing automation, social media campaigns, and webcasts. Results included 54% traffic increase and >4000% spike in leads.
• OODAminorOthersOODA CTO and co-founder Bob Gourley featured Katzcy CEO Jessica Gulick on OODAcast to discuss her background as a cybersecurity practitioner, cybersecurity as an esport, and diversity advocacy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Inkhouse: Integrated communications agency for technology and cybersecurity brands, comparable to Katzcy Marketing in vertical focus, content-led demand-gen, and event-driven GTM.
• Walker Sands: Mid-market B2B marketing and PR agency with a deep technology and cybersecurity client roster, comparable to Katzcy Marketing in offering integrated growth marketing, content, demand-gen, and event support for tech buyers.
• Lewis Global: B2B technology marketing and communications agency serving enterprise software and cybersecurity buyers; directly comparable in offering integrated marketing services to tech clients.
• Highwire: PR and marketing agency specialized in enterprise technology, including a roster of cybersecurity brands; directly comparable in services (PR, content, demand-gen) and target buyer.
• Bluetext: Washington-DC-area digital marketing agency with federal and cybersecurity clients; directly comparable in serving DC-based government-adjacent cyber and tech buyers.
• CyberPatriot (Air Force Association): National cyber-defense competition program for students; directly comparable to US Cyber Games in format, federal partnership, and mission to build cyber talent through competitive events.
• National Cyber League: Structured cybersecurity competition program with individual and team play; directly comparable to US Cyber Games in providing a competitive venue that recruits and assesses cyber talent.

Emerging players

• Cybrary: Cybersecurity skills and workforce-development platform offering gamified learning and team training; comparable to PlayCyber and US Cyber Games in approaching cyber-talent development as a market.
• SANS Institute: Leading cybersecurity training and certification body that runs competitions and workforce programs; comparable to PlayCyber/US Cyber Games in addressing cyber skills development through gamified training.

Broad incumbents

• FINN Partners: Global marketing and communications firm with a sizable technology and cybersecurity practice, comparable to Katzcy in serving cyber clients but broader in vertical footprint and resources.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/KATZCYLLC
• Facebookfacebook.com/katzcy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/katzcy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Katzcy