The cybersecurity industry witnessed a pivotal moment as Oneleet raises $33 million in Series A funding, signaling investor confidence in a platform designed to solve enterprise security’s most critical challenge: the gap between compliance certification and actual protection.
Dawn Capital Leads $33M Series A Funding Round
Dawn Capital led Oneleet’s $33 million Series A round, joined by Y Combinator, Dropbox co-founder Arash Ferdowsi, and former Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman. This brings Oneleet’s total funding to $35 million since its 2022 founding. The investment will expand Oneleet’s engineering team, enhance AI capabilities, and accelerate customer acquisition. Founder Bryan Onel described the fundraising as straightforward, with immediate alignment between his vision and Dawn Capital’s expertise in security and compliance markets.
Ending Compliance Theater in Cybersecurity
Traditional compliance platforms function as evidence-collection tools where companies import data, pay fees, and receive security certificates despite remaining vulnerable to attacks. Oneleet directly addresses this problem by integrating penetration testing, code scanning, cloud data security, attack surface management, and security training into one unified platform. This comprehensive approach deploys security controls with single-button simplicity, saving clients hundreds of hours while eliminating blind spots created by fragmented tool management. Oneleet then partners with independent auditors to provide formal certification reviews that reflect genuine security postures.
AI-Driven Security Platform Reaches $9M ARR
Oneleet has achieved $9 million in annual recurring revenue, with two-thirds of new Y Combinator portfolio companies now using the platform. The company leverages AI for threat modeling, security assessments, and policy drafting, but maintains human verification to prevent errors. This approach proves critical as threat actors increasingly automate cyberattacks and lower barriers for novice hackers. Companies face compounded risks through careless AI deployment, including granting systems access to business-critical data without proper safeguards. Oneleet’s responsible AI integration amplifies security expertise rather than replacing human judgment.
Y Combinator Success Story Expands Security Tools
Founded in 2022 by Bryan Onel, his wife Ora, and Erik Vogelzang, Oneleet emerged from Y Combinator’s Summer 2022 cohort. Onel spent a decade performing penetration tests for over 150 companies, repeatedly breaking into organizations that had passed security audits. He observed that security typically fell into two categories: painful but effective, or painless but ineffective. Clients consistently asked if he could provide a better solution, leading to Oneleet’s creation as an all-in-one security compliance platform that delivers both effectiveness and efficiency.
Automated SOC 2 and ISO 27001 Compliance Solution
Oneleet’s $33M funding enables automated SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance—critical certifications for enterprise partnerships and customer trust. The platform’s integrated architecture streamlines what traditionally required months of effort and specialized consultants. By building security tools as a cohesive system rather than disconnected products, Oneleet generates required evidence and implements necessary controls efficiently. Competitors include Vanta, Secureframe, and Sprinto. Onel’s vision emphasizes that “good security should be invisible,” allowing companies to focus on product development rather than compliance anxiety while maintaining robust defensive capabilities.
business model of oneleet
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| How Company Started | Founded in 2022 by ethical hacker Bryan Onel (former penetration tester for 150+ companies), his wife Ora, and college friend Erik Vogelzang. Emerged from Y Combinator Summer 2022 cohort after clients repeatedly requested a solution to the painful compliance vs. ineffective security dilemma. |
| Present Condition | $9 million ARR with $35 million total funding raised. Two-thirds of new Y Combinator portfolio companies are clients. Active competition against Vanta, Secureframe, and Sprinto in the security compliance platform market. |
| Future of Company & Industry | Positioned to eliminate compliance theater as cyberattacks scale through AI automation. Industry shifting from fragmented evidence-collection tools toward integrated security platforms that provide genuine protection alongside certification. Growing regulatory pressure and breach consequences amplify market urgency. |
| Opportunities for Young Entrepreneurs | Enterprise security tooling, AI-powered threat detection, compliance automation for emerging standards (GDPR, CCPA), SMB-focused security solutions, vertical-specific compliance platforms (healthcare, fintech), and security training/education services represent high-growth entry points. |
| Market Share | Operating in the rapidly expanding GRC (Governance, Risk, Compliance) software market projected to reach $64 billion by 2025. Exact market share undisclosed, but strong YC portfolio penetration indicates significant early-stage traction in startup segment. |
| MOAT (Competitive Advantage) | Integrated security tools built from ground up (not aggregated third-party integrations). Combines actual security implementation with compliance certification—competitors primarily offer evidence collection. Technical founder credibility from decade of penetration testing. Strategic investor backing from operators (Slootman, Ferdowsi) provides execution guidance. |
| How Company Makes Money | SaaS subscription model charging businesses for access to integrated security compliance platform. Revenue streams from penetration testing services, automated compliance workflows (SOC 2, ISO 27001), continuous security monitoring, and partnership with independent auditors for formal certification reviews. |
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