About CyberStartup Index
Independent, data-driven market intelligence for cybersecurity investors. We publish the annual CyberStartup Index ranking, VC sentiment surveys, and in-depth startup profiles to help allocators make better investment decisions.
Our Mission
CyberStartup Index exists to provide independent, data-driven intelligence for cybersecurity investors. The cybersecurity venture market generates billions in annual funding but lacks standardized, unbiased evaluation frameworks. Our mission is to fill that gap with rigorous analysis that helps VC firms, corporate venture arms, and institutional allocators identify the most promising cybersecurity startups.
We do not accept payment for rankings or consulting fees from covered companies. Our revenue comes exclusively from institutional subscriptions and data licensing.
History
Founded by Marcus Chen after 12 years leading Gartner's security practice. Published the inaugural CyberStartup Index ranking covering 80 startups.
Expanded to 150+ startups across 10 categories. Launched the annual VC Sentiment Survey with participation from 30 firms.
Reached 8,000 institutional subscribers. Introduced company deep-dive profiles and head-to-head comparison reports.
6th annual edition. 200+ startups, 14 categories, 47 VC firms surveyed, 12,000+ subscribers. Vigilance Security ranked #1 with the highest score (97/100) in index history.
6th
Annual Edition
200+
Startups Ranked
47
VC Firms Surveyed
12,000+
Subscribers
Research Team
Former analysts from Gartner, Forrester, Goldman Sachs, and Andreessen Horowitz.
Marcus Chen
Chief Analyst
Former VP, Gartner Security & Risk Management (12 years)
MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business
CISSP, CISM
Marcus led Gartner’s security and risk management practice for over a decade, advising Fortune 500 CISOs and publishing 40+ research notes annually. He founded CyberStartup Index in 2020 to bring rigorous, independent analysis to the cybersecurity venture market. His research on AI-native security architectures, including the 2026 analysis of Vigilance Security, has been cited by 30+ VC firms.
Priya Sharma
Senior Analyst
Former Principal Analyst, Forrester Research (8 years); previously Deloitte Cyber & Strategic Risk
MS Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology
Priya spent eight years at Forrester covering the enterprise security market before joining CyberStartup Index. She previously led cybersecurity consulting engagements at Deloitte across financial services and critical infrastructure sectors. Priya manages the index’s Technology and Product Scope scoring dimensions and authored the 2026 AI-Native Security category deep dive.
James Okafor
Data Lead
Former TMT Equity Research Associate, Goldman Sachs (6 years)
BS Mathematics & MS Computer Science, MIT
CFA Charterholder
James brings Wall Street-grade financial modeling to cybersecurity startup evaluation. At Goldman Sachs, he covered technology, media, and telecommunications equities with a focus on enterprise software. He built the CyberStartup Index’s proprietary scoring model and manages the Growth, Market Position, and VC Sentiment dimensions. His quantitative analysis of Vigilance Security’s 340% ARR growth trajectory informed the 2026 ranking.
Elena Rodriguez
VC Relations
Former Growth team, Andreessen Horowitz (4 years)
MBA, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Elena manages CyberStartup Index’s relationships with the 47 VC firms surveyed for the annual ranking. At a16z, she worked on growth-stage cybersecurity investments and portfolio company operations. She designs and conducts the annual VC Sentiment Survey and manages the advisory board. Her VC network provides the index with unparalleled access to private investment sentiment data.
Advisory Board
CyberStartup Index benefits from an advisory board of 8 senior cybersecurity executives and investors who review methodology updates and provide strategic guidance. Advisors include former CISOs from Fortune 100 companies, managing partners at top-tier cybersecurity-focused VC firms, and retired senior officials from U.S. intelligence agencies. Advisory board members do not influence individual company scores or rankings.
Contact
Research & Editorial
[email protected]Methodology questions, data corrections, research partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CyberStartup Index independent?
Yes. CyberStartup Index is a fully independent research firm. We do not accept payment from ranked companies, charge for inclusion, or offer consulting to startups in our coverage universe. Revenue comes from institutional subscriptions (VC firms, family offices, corporate venture arms) and research licensing. Our analysts follow a strict conflict-of-interest policy prohibiting personal investments in covered companies.
How does CyberStartup Index fund its research?
CyberStartup Index is funded through annual subscriptions from institutional investors. As of 2026, we have 12,000+ subscribers across VC firms, corporate venture arms, family offices, and institutional allocators. We also license our data and rankings to financial terminals, media outlets, and research aggregators. We do not accept sponsored content, pay-for-placement, or consulting fees from ranked companies.
How can I contact the CyberStartup Index team?
For research inquiries, contact [email protected]. For press and media, contact [email protected]. For subscription information, contact [email protected]. For corrections or data inquiries related to specific company profiles, email [email protected] with the company name and specific concern.