Leveraging Penetration Testing to Scale a YC-Backed Company

‍Proving Security to Win Customer Confidence

Ariglad was entering a pivotal growth stage. They saw an opportunity in the automatic creation and maintenance of knowledge bases using AI, so they pivoted. The evolution was celebrated, but the team wanted product validation before bringing it to market.

The Ariglad team wanted to proactively secure their attack surface before starting sales conversations with enterprises. This strategy was to ensure deal velocity. They didn’t have the time to ramp up their team's expertise, so they looked for a partner that could deliver a deep manual penetration test without overwhelming the team or the budget. 

A time-boxed manual penetration test aligned perfectly with Ariglad’s constraints: predictable cost, focused scope, and a high-impact assessment of the biggest attack surfaces.

AI Penetration Testing for Lean Development Teams

Software Secured brought a collaborative, guidance-first approach to the engagement. From the start, the team walked Ariglad through every step of the penetration testing process (onboarding, evidence submission, Portal navigation, remediation). The goal was to make the process manageable and predictable for a lean engineering team.

Scheduling was flexible and responsive, making it easy for Ariglad to maintain momentum. When internal timelines tightened, Software Secured accelerated proposal delivery and stayed available to answer questions in real time, building trust even before testing began.

Technical roadblocks were removed early, and API documentation wasn’t needed. Software Secured even offered to handle environment setup directly, saving Ariglad hours of prep work.

By combining high-touch communication with deep manual testing expertise, Software Secured provided Ariglad with a smooth, confidence-building path to security validation as they prepared to launch their new AI solution.

SOC 2 Readiness and AI Product Confidence

The experience immediately reduced pressure on the Ariglad team — no more all-nighters for the CTO. The flexible start date gave developers more time to stabilize the product. The guidance removed guesswork and eliminated the stress of navigating a penetration test alone.

They knew the pen test was executed thoroughly and correctly. Credibility that would enable the team to maintain the security standard for both SOC 2 and future prospects. Early penetration testing gave Ariglad a strategic advantage. They were able to validate the new AI product’s resilience before revenue scaled. They reinforced internal confidence and supported their SOC 2 compliance journey.

“We needed a penetration testing partner who could guide us, not just test us. Software Secured made the process easy, clear, and predictable—something we desperately needed during our product pivot.” - CTO, Ariglad

Proactive Security Validation for AI Product Growth

With experience working with enterprise clients, Ariglad knew that proactive security would positively impact market demand. Prospects and future enterprise clients expect SOC 2 and credible penetration testing. By completing an assessment early, Ariglad positioned its AI platform as secure before onboarding security-sensitive customers.

The new AI product now has product-market traction. Security validation strengthened buyer confidence and aligned the company with the expectations of compliance-driven markets.

Ariglad is currently progressing through SOC 2 compliance, supported by the penetration test as a core requirement. Ariglad is on a path toward an ongoing security relationship with Software Secured.

"Testing early was the best decision we made. It ensured our AI platform met the security expectations of future customers and set us up for SOC 2 success.” — CTO, Ariglad