RSAC 2023: 10 Coolest Cybersecurity Startup Companies

HiddenLayer, Concentric AI and Mondoo were among the coolest cybersecurity startup companies at RSAC 2023.

A provider of security for machine learning algorithms and training sets, the startup behind a brand of artificial intelligence-based services for autonomous data security posture management and the maker of an Open Security Registry of compliance and best practice checks.

HiddenLayer, Concentric AI and Mondoo were among the coolest cybersecurity startup companies CRN saw exhibiting on the floor of RSA Conference 2023. RSAC was held this week in San Francisco.

RSAC 2023 Startups

The role of artificial intelligence (AI) – particularly generative AI – in securing customers and as a potential tool for criminal hackers was a common theme throughout RSAC.

Vendors large and small are exploring the uses for this new technology and generative AI tools such as text-generator ChatGPT. This new technology also has some solution providers excited as well.

Some of the other startups to make CRN’s list include:

*Stellar Cyber

*Endor Labs

*Spyderbat

Here’s more on the coolest cybersecurity startup companies of RSAC 2023.

Mondoo

Mondoo made a host of announcements during RSA Conference 2023, including the introduction of its Open Security Registry, a free, open, browsable database of security, compliance and best practice checks.

The San Francisco-based startup – which promises the ability for users to discover their entire infrastructure and create an inventory of resources across cloud, Kubernetes and on site – also announced that it received Center for Internet Security (CIS) SecureSuite Vendor Certification to meet the full coverage of cloud and cloud-managed Kubernetes environments.

CEO Soo Choi-Andrews co-founded Mondoo in 2021, according to her LinkedIn account.

Mondoo previously made CRN’s 10 Hot DevOps Companies To Watch In 2023 and 10 Hottest DevOps Startup Companies Of 2022.

Concentric AI

In April, Concentric AI unveiled a new channel partner program with a promise for better enablement for partners selling the startup’s intelligent, artificial intelligence based services for autonomous data security posture management (DSPM).

The Saratoga, Calif.-based startup also has optimized large language model support for the DSPM service for greater security and protection, according to Concentric. The startup also offers machine learning-powered data scanning and categorization, data risk identification and centralized remediation among its capabilities.

Last year, CRN deemed Concentric one of the “10 Hottest Cybersecurity Products At Black Hat 2022.” The startup raised a $14.5 million Series A round of funding last year.

CEO Karthik Krishnan founded Concentric in 2018, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously worked at Niara for about four years, through the company’s acquisition by Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2017.

Krishnan left HPE in 2018 with the title of vice president of product management.

Stellar Cyber

In March, Stellar Cyber launched its first partner program focused on resellers and distributors as it seeks to accelerate its growth with the channel. The startup already had a program aimed at managed security service providers (MSSPs).

The San Jose, Calif.-based company offers an extended detection and response (XDR) platform focused on the needs of smaller cybersecurity teams. Its “open” XDR platform promises to correlate and analyze data from third-party products as opposed to simply working with native tools.

CEO Changming Liu co-founded Stellar in 2018. Liu previously founded Aerohive Networks in 2006 and served as its chief technology officer through its 2014 initial public offering and acquisition by Extreme Networks, according to his LinkedIn account. His resume includes stints at Juniper Networks and Nortel Networks.

HiddenLayer

HiddenLayer won the 2023 annual RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest for its machine learning algorithms and training sets security offerings.

The Austin, Texas-based startup promises a noninvasive, software-based platform that monitors ML algorithm inputs and outputs for anomalous activity, according to HiddenLayer’s website. Response actions are immediate with a flexible response framework.

The RSAC Innovation Sandbox Contest’s top 10 finalists have collectively seen more than 75 acquisitions and raised over $12.5 billion in investments, according to the conference.

HiddenLayer also offers a partner program for integrators, advisers, service providers, consultants and other partner business types. Databricks and Nvidia are among the startup’s technology partners.

CEO Chris Sestito co-founded HiddenLayer last year, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously worked at Qualys for less than a year, leaving with the title of vice president of engineering for data science.

Sestito’s resume includes less than a year with Agari, leaving in 2021 with the title of senior director of data science. He also spent more than five years with Cylance, leaving in 2020 with the title of threat research director, according to his LinkedIn account.

Endor Labs

Endor Labs, one of the 10 finalists in the annual RSAC Innovation Sandbox contest, has a partner program for channel partners, integrators and other partner business types.

In March, Palo Alto, Calif.-based Endor promised 100 percent channel commitment and launched a global partner program.

The startup aims to provide enhanced security for the software supply chain, with a platform focused on enabling the secure use of open source software.

CEO Varun Badhwar co-founded Endor in 2021, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously founded RedLock in 2015 and led the company as CEO to its acquisition by Palo Alto Networks in 2018.

Badhwar left Palo Alto Networks in 2021 with the title of senior vice president and general manager of Prisma Cloud.

In October 2022, Endor Labs announced raising a $25 million seed funding round from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Dell Technologies Capital, Sierra Ventures, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, Zscaler Founder and CEO Jay Chaudhry and Netskope Founder and CEO Sanjay Beri.

SoftWarfare

During RSA Conference 2023, SoftWarfare launched its Zero Trust Identity authentication platform for integrations, identities and devices for the enterprise. The platform is compliant with the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program.

Prairie Village, Kan.-based SoftWarfare also offers integration-platform-as-a-service (IPaaS), a multi-modal biometric factors product and other security services. The startup also has a partner program for resellers and other partner business types.

CEO Wyatt Cobb co-founded SoftWarfare in 2017, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously worked at Lockpath for about two years, leaving with the title of vice president of worldwide sales.

Cobb also worked at FireMon for about eight years, leaving the company in 2014 with the title of director, according to his LinkedIn account.

Spyderbat

Spyderbat offers cloud native runtime security, monitoring all containerized application events and offering immediate security and operational controls.

The Austin, Texas-based startup promises agents that collect kernel-level workload data while avoiding major effects on performance and management overhead. Users can deploy and visualize clusters, connections, commands and more, according to the company.

It offers services made for Amazon Web Services (AWS), multi-cloud environments and security operations (SecOps) automation as well.

In October, Spyderbat raised $10 million in a Series A round of funding. NTTVC led the round. LiveOak Venture Partners, Benhamou Global Ventures and John McHale participated.

CEO Marc Willebeek-LeMair founded Spyderbat in 2020, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously founded Click Security in 2009 and led the company as CEO until its sale to Alert Logic in 2016.

Willebeek-LeMair left Alert Logic in 2018 with the title of chief strategy officer.

Abnormal Security

Abnormal Security unveiled three new products during RSA Conference, adding new threat detection capabilities for Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom.

The San Francisco-based startup offers cloud email protection and AI-based behavioral anomaly detection among its offerings, according to Abnormal.

CEO Evan Reiser co-founded Abnormal in 2018, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously co-founded AdStack in 2010 and led the company as CEO until its 2013 acquisition by TellApart. Twitter then bought TellApart in 2015.

Reiser left Twitter in 2018 as a product manager responsible for the $2 billion-plus-a-year Twitter ad engine, according to his LinkedIn account.

Abnormal has 200 worldwide channel partners, 100 in North America, according to CRN’s 2023 Channel Chiefs.

Beyond Identity

Beyond Identity offers a Fast Identity Online (FIDO) 2, passwordless authentication product and has a a “100% channel-first approach” to North America go-to-market.

In February, the New York-based startup reported that it tripled its annual revenue and customer base year over year in 2022. In April, it unveiled an integration with Palo Alto Networks to help customers reach zero trust authentication.

CEO TJ Jermoluk co-founded Beyond Identity in 2019, according to his LinkedIn account. His resume includes serving as president and chief operating officer of Silicon Graphics, founding chairman and CEO of @Home Network, general partner at Kleiner Perkins and CEO of Hyperion Development Group.

Last year, Beyond Identity raised $100 million and promised a “channel first” approach to sales. The startup’s partner program is open to system integrators, resellers, distributors, managed service providers and other partner business types.

Orca Security

In April, Orca Security hired cybersecurity industry veteran James Love (pictured) as its new channel chief and promised to “implement a 100 percent channel-led go-to-market strategy.”

Portland, Oregon-based Orca promises a cloud security platform to see into multi-cloud environments, remediate security risks, scan container images and perform other actions.

Last year, Orca was among Amazon Web Services’ partner award winners for 2022. In January, the startup’s researchers found vulnerabilities in four Microsoft Azure services, which risked exposing customer data.

CEO Gil Geron co-founded Orca in 2018, according to his LinkedIn account. He previously worked at Check Point Software Technologies for more than 10 years, leaving the vendor with the title of director of cybersecurity gateway and cloud products.