Biohacking Village

What Biohacking Village does

Biohacking Village (BHV) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2014 at DEF CON 22 in Las Vegas, operating at the intersection of healthcare, biotechnology, and cybersecurity. It runs an integrated platform of six hands-on laboratory programs — Device Lab (hands-on security testing of real medical devices including insulin pumps, pacemakers, infusion pumps, and imaging systems), Tabletop Exercise Lab (incident response and crisis simulation), Research Hub (academic and industry collaborative research), CTF Lab (healthcare-themed capture-the-flag competitions on TryHackMe), Catalyst Lab (innovation acceleration), and Speaker Lab — and serves as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), reportedly the only nonprofit operating a CNA dedicated specifically to medical device cybersecurity.

The organization operates primarily through an event-driven, community-led go-to-market model anchored by its annual flagship at DEF CON (DEF CON 34 scheduled August 6–9, 2026 at the Las Vegas Convention Center), supplemented by international conferences across 30+ countries spanning five continents. Its technology stack includes coordinated vulnerability disclosure workflows with FDA and CISA, joint advisory publishing, and the 2025 DEF CON AI Chatbot Badge — a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5-powered wearable running three AI models locally on-device for a pocket-sized medical chatbot. BHV reports having trained 5,000+ hackers, tested 100+ devices, hosted 100+ workshops, and registered 18 new CVEs in 2024.

Revenue is generated through tiered corporate sponsorships (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Badge), nonprofit donations (EIN 83-3941279), and event participation. Named Gold sponsors include Medtronic and Siemens Healthineers; Silver sponsors include BD (Becton Dickinson), Boston Scientific, Roche, Philips, and Solventum; H-ISAC is a Bronze sponsor. The organization is volunteer-driven with a core leadership team including CEO/Executive Director Nina Alli (Janine Medina) and CFO Tom VanNorman, with formal partnerships spanning FDA #WeHeartHackers, CISA, CancerX (founding member), and the Village of Villages network connecting 12+ DEF CON villages. No venture capital or private equity funding has been disclosed.

Name

Biohacking Village

Legal name

Biohacking Village

Website

https://villageb.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Biohacking Village is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2014 at DEF CON, operating as the only nonprofit CVE Numbering Authority dedicated to medical device cybersecurity, training 5,000+ hackers and serving medical device manufacturers, regulators, and security researchers across 30+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered sponsorship program (Gold, Silver, Bronze, Badge) providing medical device manufacturers and healthcare companies access to security researchers, regulatory engagement opportunities, and community visibility. Gold sponsors include Medtronic and Siemens Healthineers.
2. Nonprofit Donations: Registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (83-3941279) accepting donations to support healthcare security education and research initiatives.
3. Event Participation Fees: Revenue from conference events, workshops, and training programs. DEF CON 32 welcomed over 5,000 attendees across all labs and sessions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Biohacking Village operates hands-on cybersecurity labs (Device Lab, Tabletop Exercise, Research Hub, CTF, Catalyst, Speaker) at DEF CON and 30+ countries, training security researchers and medical device manufacturers on real medical device testing, incident response simulation, and policy research. As a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), it registers CVEs for medical device vulnerabilities and coordinates disclosure with the FDA, CISA, and manufacturers. The organization also produces the annual DEF CON hardware badge, with the 2025 version being a Raspberry Pi CM5-powered on-device medical chatbot.

Product overview

Biohacking Village is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization at the intersection of healthcare, biotechnology, and cybersecurity, operating primarily as a community-driven educational and research platform at DEF CON and global conferences. The organization offers six interconnected hands-on laboratory programs: Device Lab (real medical device security testing with insulin pumps, pacemakers, infusion pumps, and imaging systems), Tabletop Exercise Lab (crisis simulation and incident response training), Research Hub (academic and industry collaborative research), Capture the Flag Lab (healthcare-themed competitive hacking on TryHackMe), Catalyst Lab (innovation acceleration and mentorship), and Speaker Lab (expert presentations and panel discussions). As a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), the organization operates a formal coordinated vulnerability disclosure (CVD) program for medical device vulnerabilities. The 2025 DEF CON AI Chatbot Badge represents the organization's flagship hardware product — a Raspberry Pi CM5-powered wearable medical chatbot running three AI models entirely on-device.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Device Lab Hands-on laboratory providing real medical devices including insulin pumps, pacemakers, infusion pumps, and imaging systems for security researchers to identify vulnerabilities, test security controls, and understand critical system architectures in collaboration with manufacturers. For researchers and manufacturers.
• Tabletop Exercise Lab Simulated healthcare security scenario exercises where participants practice incident response, risk assessment, and crisis management in immersive tabletop exercises including ransomware response, breach scenarios, and supply chain attack simulations. For clinicians, security teams, and executives.
• Research Hub Cutting-edge healthcare cybersecurity research collaborative space working with academics, industry experts, and government partners on vulnerability research, policy development, and academic publications. For academics, industry experts, and government partners.
• Capture the Flag (CTF) Lab Healthcare-themed competitive hacking challenges ranging from beginner to expert levels, including medical device hacking, network forensics, and cryptography challenges hosted on the TryHackMe platform. For individual security researchers, students, and CTF competitors.
• Catalyst Lab Innovation acceleration program connecting researchers, clinicians, and industry leaders through startup networking, innovation workshops, and mentorship programs to drive next-generation healthcare security solutions. For startups, researchers, and clinical innovators.
• Speaker Lab Expert-led presentations, panel discussions, and interactive sessions covering the latest healthcare security threats, defenses, and emerging technologies in the bioeconomy. For conference attendees and the security community.
• CVE Numbering Authority (CNA) Formal vulnerability disclosure program enabling researchers to register CVEs for medical device vulnerabilities, with full year-round coordination support including CVE registration, stakeholder communication, advisory development, and in-person assistance during DEF CON. For security researchers and medical device manufacturers.
• Coordinated Vulnerability Disclosure (CVD) Structured process for identifying, communicating, and addressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the biomedical ecosystem prior to public disclosure, involving manufacturer engagement, FDA/CISA coordination, and published security advisories. For researchers, manufacturers, and regulators.
• DEF CON AI Chatbot Badge (2025) Pocket-sized medical chatbot badge powered by Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, running three AI models locally on-device with no internet connection — accepting voice input and producing text-based medical treatment feedback entirely on the edge. For DEF CON attendees and the security researcher community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 18 new CVEs registered in 2024 through BHV CNA program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, gold/flagship, silver, bronze, badge and pre-con.

• DEF CONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference partner and home venue since 2014. DEF CON is the world's largest hacker conference where BHV operates all its flagship labs and events including Device Lab, CTF, and workshops.
• FDA #WeHeartHackerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDA's program engaging security researchers to improve medical device safety and cybersecurity. BHV works directly with FDA on medical device cybersecurity guidelines and coordinated disclosure.
• CancerXflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of CancerX, pioneering secure healthcare technology to advance cancer research and treatment as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative.
• Village of VillagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative network of DEF CON villages (Cloud Village, Blue Team Village, Voting Village, Maritime Hacking Village, Car Hacking Village, AI Village, Aerospace Village, ICS Village, Red Team Village, Lock Pick Village, RF Village) working together for a safer world.
• CISAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency partnership for coordinated vulnerability disclosure. Security advisories published jointly on BHV Security Advisory page and CISA website.
• Medtronicgold/flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor bringing medical devices to Device Lab for hands-on security testing. Collaboration helps identify and remediate security issues leading to safer medical devices for patients.
• Siemens Healthineersgold/flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGold sponsor providing medical imaging devices for security research at DEF CON Device Lab. Partnership enables collaborative vulnerability discovery in imaging systems.
• BD (Becton Dickinson)silverStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor participating in Device Lab with infusion and diagnostic equipment. Supports hands-on security testing and coordinated vulnerability disclosure.
• Boston ScientificsilverStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor contributing medical devices to security testing programs at DEF CON.
• RochesilverStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor participating in healthcare cybersecurity collaboration and Device Lab activities.
• PhilipssilverStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor providing medical device security partnership and DEF CON participation.
• SolventumsilverStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilver sponsor supporting healthcare technology security collaboration.
• H-ISACbronzeStrategic or Co-development PartnerBronze sponsor; Health-Information Sharing and Analysis Center for healthcare cybersecurity industry collaboration.
• SolasecbadgeStrategic or Co-development PartnerBadge sponsor for DEF CON 2025, partnering to deliver next-generation AI-powered conference badge. Provides software and firmware reverse engineering, wireless security assessments, SBOM creation, penetration testing, and threat modeling.
• SolaSecpre-conImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPre-con partnership helping medical device manufacturers prepare for DEF CON with security assessments, vulnerability testing, and SBOM compliance. Capabilities include software/firmware reverse engineering, wireless security, and penetration testing.
• Manifestpre-conTechnology or IntegrationPre-con partnership providing SBOM management platform helping healthcare organizations understand, manage, and mitigate supply-chain risk. Meets FDA, DoD, and EU requirements.
• Medcryptpre-conTechnology or IntegrationPre-con partnership providing medical device cybersecurity products and strategic consulting. SBOM Regulatory Preview helps manufacturers ensure SBOM meets FDA requirements before submission.
• Product Security Hubpre-conTechnology or IntegrationPre-con partnership focused on product security integrated throughout product lifecycles with threat models, SBOM generation, vulnerability management, and information security policy.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• I Am The Cavalry: A grassroots hacker advocacy group focused on safety-critical systems including medical devices, with overlapping leadership (Beau Woods is both a BHV Director and IATC co-founder). Most directly comparable to BHV in mission, structure, and community-driven disclosure model.
• Medcrypt: Commercial medical device cybersecurity company providing SBOM management, vulnerability monitoring, and strategic consulting to manufacturers. BHV Pre-Con Partner with overlapping customer base (medical device manufacturers) and complementary positioning in the medical device security stack.
• H-ISAC: Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, a nonprofit industry collaborative for sharing cyber threat intelligence across the healthcare sector. BHV Bronze sponsor with overlapping mission of healthcare cybersecurity community building and information sharing.
• Product Security Hub: Product security services firm providing threat modeling, SBOM generation, and vulnerability management. BHV Pre-Con Partner serving medical device manufacturers with similar customer profiles and complementary services.
• SolaSec: Security consultancy offering software/firmware reverse engineering, wireless security assessments, SBOM creation, and penetration testing with a strong focus on medical device manufacturers. BHV Pre-Con Partner and Badge sponsor with directly overlapping expertise.
• Manifest Cyber: SBOM management platform purpose-built for healthcare organizations to meet FDA, DoD, and EU requirements. BHV Pre-Con Partner serving the same medical device manufacturer base with supply-chain risk management solutions.
• ICS Village: DEF CON village focused on industrial control systems security, operating with a similar volunteer-driven village model at DEF CON. Direct structural peer within the Village of Villages network, sharing event-driven, community-led GTM.
• AI Village: DEF CON village dedicated to AI/ML security research, education, and adversarial machine learning. Direct structural peer in the Village of Villages network with overlapping volunteer model and DEF CON-driven GTM.
• Car Hacking Village: DEF CON village focused on automotive cybersecurity with hands-on labs, CTF challenges, and manufacturer engagement. Direct structural peer to BHV in the Village of Villages network, sharing the same event-based, hands-on testing approach.

Broad incumbents

• Bugcrowd: Commercial crowdsourced vulnerability disclosure and bug bounty platform serving healthcare and medical device manufacturers as customers. Broader incumbent offering paid disclosure services that compete for the same manufacturer security budget as BHV's community-led model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dc_bhv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BiohackingVillage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biohacking-village
• Instagraminstagram.com/biohacking_village

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Biohacking Village