G&A winner LiveDrop redefines secure data transfer

LiveDrop was founded in Eindhoven in 2021 with a mission that is as ambitious as it is necessary: to create a new standard for secure data transfer. What started as a brainstorm between Erno Langendijk and Maarten Tobias grew into a startup that has now firmly established itself in the defense and cybersecurity domain — with one clear goal: to position LiveDrop globally as the communication protocol for secure and fast data exchange.

Offline communication

It has already made serious strides in this area. Last year, during NATO EDGE 2024, the innovation and technology event for NATO countries, a cooperation agreement was announced with the American Tactical Solutions Group, part of the globally operating CDI Global.

The startup is developing a unique, completely offline data transfer technology that sends files via a moving visual data matrix (similar to a QR code). Recipients—with a camera—capture this image, decode it, and restore the original file. No network or wireless signal (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, mobile data) is required. The method has been technically validated by the Dutch Ministry of Defense. In both the civil and military sectors, the protocol offers advantages in terms of invisibility, reliability, and independence. An important example is secure and undetected communication with drones in critical environments.

From entrepreneurial dream to impactful technology

Co-founder Erno Langendijk's motivation was clear: he wanted to start his own startup. After years of experience at large organizations, followed by an MBA with a module in entrepreneurship, he began to feel the urge. During a brainstorming session with Maarten Tobias, the idea for LiveDrop was born — a completely new way of data transfer, based on a patented protocol. Not just any idea, but a solution that responds to the growing need for secure communication in an unpredictable world.

Langendijk: “By 2050, we want world leaders to use LiveDrop for secure data transfer — and for every citizen of the world to have access to this technology.”

Faster, safer, and ready for the future

LiveDrop is active in the heart of the Defense & Security domain, but has clear dual-use potential. Think of applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, and integration in consumer electronics. It is precisely this broad applicability that makes the protocol so powerful. Where others got stuck at a transfer limit of 50 kb/s, LiveDrop broke through this barrier — and the team in their R&D facility is now above 2 Mb/s.

“We were the first to break through this speed barrier,” says Langendijk, “which is our greatest success to date.”

A turbo in Brainport, with room for growth

The Brainport Eindhoven ecosystem played an essential role in the development of LiveDrop, from product development to finding the right contacts within the Ministry of Defense. The team describes the collaboration with other companies in the region as “a turbo,” but the startup also sees room for improvement, particularly in the financing climate. “There is a lot of goodwill, but we still think too much in terms of risks and too little in terms of growth opportunities. There is still room for improvement in the Netherlands and Brainport,” says the entrepreneur.

International ambitions and geopolitical reality

Although LiveDrop is firmly rooted in Eindhoven, the team also looks beyond the border. “If we hadn't started in Brainport, we would probably have gone to the US—because of the size of the market and the willingness to take risks.” In the meantime, the startup is steadily working on international breakthroughs, including within several NATO countries. The biggest challenge? Decision-makers within the Ministry of Defense are often difficult to reach: “They're not on LinkedIn.”

LiveDrop is a textbook example of how technology, vision, and perseverance come together within the Brainport ecosystem. With a patented solution that combines safety and speed, the startup is well on its way to setting a global standard — from Eindhoven to the White House.