Startups & Growth-Stage Companies
Your product is ready. Your team is ready. But the enterprise prospect's security review is a wall you can't get past. SOC 2 isn't done. Your cyber insurance application is half-finished. And your investors are starting to ask about security posture during diligence.
The real cost
Security isn't a line item for growth-stage companies. It's a revenue enabler. Every enterprise deal that stalls on a security questionnaire is revenue sitting on the table. Every investor who asks about your security posture and gets a vague answer is a risk flag in their diligence notes.
The challenge is that most growth-stage companies need executive-level security leadership right now, but the full-time hire is 18 months away. A fractional CISO fills that gap so your team can focus on building while your security posture catches up to your ambition.
71%
Of enterprise buyers require security documentation before signing
6–12 mo
Typical SOC 2 readiness timeline without dedicated leadership
3x
Insurance premium reduction with a documented security program
What's blocking you
Do you have SOC 2 Type II certification, or a credible timeline to completion?
Who is responsible for your information security program and what is their authority?
What is your incident response plan? When was it last tested?
How do you protect customer data at rest and in transit?
Can you provide evidence of a risk assessment completed in the last 12 months?
These aren't theoretical. They're on the security questionnaire your next enterprise customer is about to send you.
How we help
SOC 2 readiness and certification support
Gap assessment, policy development, control implementation, and auditor coordination. We build the program and manage the process so your engineering team stays focused on product.
Enterprise security questionnaire response
We help you build a response library and handle the questionnaires that are blocking deals. Over time, the program we build means you can answer these in hours, not weeks.
Cyber insurance readiness
Your insurance application is a security assessment in disguise. We make sure your answers are accurate, your controls are in place, and your premiums reflect real maturity.
Investor and board-level security narrative
When your investors ask about security during diligence, you'll have a clear, credible story. Program documentation, risk posture, and a roadmap that demonstrates maturity trajectory.
Security program foundation
Policies, procedures, access controls, and governance structures built for where you are today and designed to scale as you grow. The program we build is yours, built to evolve with your organization.
Common questions
We're pre-Series A. Is it too early for this?
If you're handling customer data or preparing for enterprise sales, it's not too early. The earlier you build the foundation, the less expensive it is to achieve SOC 2 and the faster you can close enterprise deals. Pre-seed and seed-stage companies typically start with a lighter engagement focused on getting the basics right.
How fast can you get us SOC 2 ready?
It depends on your starting point. Companies with some existing controls can reach audit-readiness in 3 to 4 months. Companies starting from scratch typically need 6 to 9 months. The Executive Security Discovery gives us an honest baseline to set a realistic timeline.
Will you take over our entire security function?
I operate as your security executive, not your security department. That means strategic leadership, governance, program design, and vendor coordination. For hands-on implementation (tool deployment, configuration, monitoring), we work with your engineering team or bring in trusted partners where needed.
At what point would we need to move beyond fractional?
Most startups engage fractionally through their growth phase. The engagement model scales with your organization's complexity. Some clients stay with fractional leadership indefinitely because the model continues to fit. Others eventually build internal teams, at which point we help transition the program and ensure continuity.
The Executive Security Discovery tells you exactly where you stand and what it takes to get where you need to be.
Apply for your discoveryLimited availability by application only.