SandFox: the start-up combining cybersecurity and telecommunications to serve the military

“In Year 1, we had the choice between IT and PE,” recalls Nassim Bouiche. "I opted for the former, and that passion has stayed with me ever since. " So it's only natural that today he can be found walking the halls of Inria. Except that he's not a researcher there... but a future start-up CEO. This latest twist is just the latest in a rather unusual career path. 

After his first foray into computer science at the age of 6, he continued his education and his exploration of the field, and as a teenager, he was already interested in credit card security. Logically, he enrolled in a computer science DUT (university technical diploma) and then an engineering school, from which he graduated in 2008. Specialising in cybersecurity, he then worked for various companies (GFI Informatique, Eurocopter, ArcelorMittal, etc.) and could have continued his career on this path. 

Except that Nassim Bouiche is curious and in search of meaning. So in 2014, he decided to join the army to work in cyber protection. But after completing his training, he once again changed direction. “I quickly became bored, so I took the internal exam to join the special forces,’ he recalls. Several missions later, as I was still eager and keen to discover new things, I opted for a position as communications manager.” 

It was at this point that Nassim Bouiche's career took a decisive turn, as he discovered the many problems faced by military operators in the field in this area. Firstly, in terms of logistics: they generally set off with three to six different stations, as one is used to communicate with the team, another with the command centre, another with the aircraft, etc., and additional stations are brought along in case of problems with the first ones. Not to mention that these tools are specific to each national army, which creates communication difficulties between armies in areas where collaboration is nevertheless frequent.

Secondly, from a security point of view: none of the best practices that Nassim Bouiche is used to are applied to radio tools. “It's impossible to monitor my radio network, to check how it's working, whether its integrity is being maintained at all times, to know who is connected to it...”, laments the cyber engineer. Finally, all communications pass through a central node that uses the internet, GSM or satellites. And if that node goes down, the network collapses. 

He then feels the urge to solve all these problems... but that takes time, which his job does not allow him. However, on 31 December 2024, Nassim Bouiche's contract with the army expires. He decides not to renew it, but to embark on a new adventure: creating a start-up that would design the autonomous, secure mesh network that the army seems to need.

A year before leaving, the engineer bought his own equipment and began conducting empirical tests. He, who loved nothing more than breaking cybersecurity tools, found himself trying to do the same with radio communications. But he quickly realised that he lacked the methodology and, above all, the business knowledge to set up his project... and sell it. 

“So I looked for an incubator and discovered Inria Startup Studio, which accepted my application,’ he recalls. ‘I had a technological challenge to overcome, I knew the scientific approach thanks to my initial training, I had lots of ideas for designing and improving my project and, above all, I really needed help with the business side of things! I think all of that worked in my favour.” 

On 2 January 2025, Nassim Bouiche joined the incubator and got to work: "When I arrived, I was a geek who didn't know how to pitch his idea and wasn't familiar with the language of the startup world. But Inria's support includes sessions at EM Business School and follow-up by local and national project managers who challenge our project and help us move forward with the business model, needs assessment, pricing, etc." In short, Nassim Bouiche is learning, and quickly. 

At the same time, he had a second pleasant surprise: he reconnected with Christophe Bocher, a former colleague from his regiment who had left a few years earlier to become an application developer. “When we were in the army, we had already discussed the basics of this type of solution,” he recalls. I always enjoyed working with Nassim, and when he asked me to join him, it seemed obvious to accept: I was excited by the team, the technology and the challenges ahead, especially as it involved building a solution that would be truly useful to those who put their lives on the line for their country." 

Since then, the two colleagues, whose salaries are being paid by Inria Startup Studio until the end of the year, have succeeded in developing the platform that Nassim Bouiche had imagined: software that transforms any device (drone, radio, smartphone, computer) into an autonomous and secure communication node. “Each of these devices can communicate with each other and interface with existing military systems,” he explains. The tool therefore solves the problem of inter-service operability, but also that of the central node: the network can operate without the internet, GSM or satellite, which can happen in a military setting or during natural disasters, for example.

To protect this device from intrusion, the two engineers are now working with the Fun project team at the Inria centre in Lille, which is developing a software overlay based on artificial intelligence. This allows all the equipment in a network to be accurately identified, making it easy to detect attempts at impersonation, interception or jamming. “This is another great aspect of Inria Startup Studio: it gives us access to the Institute's entire ecosystem, both in terms of hardware, if we need a supercomputer, for example, and in terms of human resources, thanks to the opportunities to meet with research teams,” says Nassim Bouiche. A new challenge is on the horizon: successfully integrating post-quantum encryption into radio stations. But to do so, they will need reinforcements.

So the next steps are (almost) all mapped out: in January 2026, the two project leaders will officially create their start-up, called SandFox, and are expected to join a new incubator. "The national power of Inria Startup Studio combined with local roots offers enormous opportunities: this transition is possible thanks to the programme and our project manager, Mathilde Saleur,” adds Nassim Bouiche. Sha also has great faith in the company's future: “The two project leaders' knowledge and understanding of the needs of operational staff in the field and their ability to offer resilient and sovereign technology are important assets for the development of their start-up."

A new cybersecurity/AI engineer is expected to be recruited, followed, if all goes well, by a business developer. In the meantime, Nassim Bouiche and Christophe Bocher continue to pave their path to success. They won the European Defence Tech Hackathon in Paris (7-9 November), then took part in European Cyber Week (in Rennes, 17-20 November), thereby boosting the visibility and credibility of their technology at European level.

A trial contract with the French armed forces is already scheduled to be signed in early 2026. If all goes well, it could lead to a more substantial contract. “We are benefiting from a favourable context with European defence on the one hand and all the cybersecurity issues on the other,” notes Nassim Bouiche. “The stars are aligned!” Stars that SandFox intends to reach for...

• Presentation Solution Communication – SandFox (video), Nassim Bouiche's YouTube channel, 18/3/2025.
• Inria focuses on its deep tech start-ups at Viva Technology 2025, Inria, 4/6/2025.
• Cyber Defence Command (COMCYBER), Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, 6/11/2023.