Socket
Socket is a developer-first security platform that uses AI-powered behavioral analysis to detect and block malicious open source packages in real time, protecting 27,000+ organizations including Anthropic, Vercel, and Replit from software supply chain attacks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersStanford, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Socket does
Socket is a developer-first security platform that protects organizations from software supply chain attacks by analyzing open source package behavior in real time. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in the United States, the platform combines AI-powered behavioral analysis with human expert verification to detect malicious packages, typosquatting, dependency confusion, install scripts, and other supply chain risks within minutes of publication — typically before traditional CVE-based SCA tools can catalog them. The product suite centers on Socket for GitHub (PR-time scanning), Socket Firewall (install-time blocking), and Socket CLI (command-line scanning), with supporting modules including Socket Reachability (vulnerability prioritization), Socket Optimize (dependency hygiene), Socket Certified Patches, Socket Web Extension, Socket Dependency Search, and Socket MCP (Model Context Protocol integration for AI coding assistants). The platform supports JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, and Rust ecosystems, with native integrations across GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, and the major package registries.
Socket operates a subscription-based SaaS model with a freemium entry point (Socket Firewall Free) and quote-based enterprise tiers that bundle org-wide policy enforcement, custom RBAC roles, repository access permissions, and advanced compliance features. Distribution is primarily product-led: developers self-serve through the GitHub App Marketplace and npm CLI, with the Replit OEM integration extending reach into AI coding environments. As of mid-2026, Socket protects 27,000+ organizations, 1.5M code repositories, and secures 11.6M+ commits monthly, while blocking 10,000+ supply chain attacks weekly and logging 300,000+ unique threat detections. Named customers include Anthropic, xAI, Vercel, Replit, Figma, Cursor, MetaMask, Drata, Doctolib, Chia, Gusto, Cribl, Mercado Libre, and Brave. The company is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and FedRAMP Light (LI-SaaS) authorized, has been recognized on the Fortune Cyber 60 list for two consecutive years, and holds two granted U.S. patents covering its supply chain security methods.
Socket has raised $125M in total funding across a $20M Series A (August 2023, led by a16z), a $40M Series B (October 2024, led by Abstract), and a $60M Series C (May 2026, led by Thrive Capital at a $1B post-money valuation), with Capital One Ventures joining as a financial-services-focused investor. The company has completed two acquisitions — Coana in May 2025 (reachability analysis) and Secure Annex in April 2026 (browser/IDE extension security) — and is part of OpenAI's inaugural Trusted Access for Cyber cohort. GTM is hybrid: product-led growth drives developer adoption, while an expanding enterprise sales motion targets Fortune 100 organizations in financial services and AI-driven technology companies. Founder Feross Aboukhadijeh (a prolific open source maintainer with packages exceeding 1B+ monthly downloads) leads the company, supported by a newly appointed CISO and a team of 101-250 employees.
Socket firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Socket
- Legal name
- Socket Inc.
- Website
- https://socket.dev
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Socket is a developer-first security platform that uses AI-powered behavioral analysis to detect and block malicious open source packages in real time, protecting 27,000+ organizations including Anthropic, Vercel, and Replit from software supply chain attacks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Socket industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Software Supply Chain Security
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Software Supply Chain & Dependency Security (SBOM, Signing) (HDADACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- CI/CD & DevSecOps Security (Pipeline, Secrets, IaC Scanning) (HDADACAF), Code & Repository Security (Git Security, Code Integrity) (HDADACAG), DevSecOps & Supply Chain Security (DevOps toolchain security) (BPAEAKAI), Application Security & DevSecOps Services (BPAKAHAJ)
Keywords
Where Socket is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stanford
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Socket business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription-based SaaS Platform: Socket operates as a subscription-based SaaS platform providing continuous security monitoring and protection for open source dependencies. Pricing is based on organization size, repository count, and feature tiers (Socket Firewall Free vs Enterprise). The platform offers tiered plans with different capabilities for team sizes from individual developers to large enterprises.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Socket Firewall Free - Free tier for individual developers |
| Subscription | Annual | Socket Firewall Enterprise - Organization-wide deployment |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Socket product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Socket provides an AI-powered software supply chain security platform that detects and blocks malicious open source packages in real-time, before they can be installed in developer environments or shipped to production. The platform analyzes package behavior (network calls, file system access, environment variable access, child process execution) to flag suspicious dependencies, integrates directly into GitHub repositories and CI/CD pipelines, and reaches developers through CLI tools, browser extensions, and IDE plugins (VS Code). Socket complements traditional CVE-based vulnerability scanning with behavioral detection of zero-day supply chain attacks and offers reachability analysis to prioritize only those vulnerabilities that affect code paths actually invoked in the application.
Product overview
Socket is a developer-first security platform that provides comprehensive software supply chain protection through a multi-product architecture. The core platform centers on Socket for GitHub (PR scanning), Socket Firewall (install-time blocking), and Socket CLI (command-line scanning), which work together to detect and block malicious open source packages before they reach production. Supporting modules include Socket Web Extension (browser protection), Socket Dependency Search (package intelligence), Socket Reachability (vulnerability prioritization), Socket Certified Patches (secure patches), Socket Optimize (dependency optimization), and Socket MCP (AI assistant integration). The platform also offers REST and SDK APIs for custom integration. Socket protects 27,000+ organizations and blocks 10,000+ attacks weekly across JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Go, PHP, Rust, and other ecosystems. Recent acquisitions include Coana (reachability analysis) and Secure Annex (browser/IDE extension security).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Socket for GitHub
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces vulnerability alert noise by 90%+ through reachability analysis
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Socket
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Socket technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration21 records
AI capability8 records
Feature6 records
Socket partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- ReplitflagshipSocket Firewall built into Replit's AI-powered development platform to protect millions of builders from malicious open source packages. Replit is blocking approximately 8,000 packages per day across builders on the platform. Strategic integration targeting AI-assisted development workflows.
- Secure AnnexcoreAcquired browser and IDE extension security startup Secure Annex (founded November 2024) to expand supply-chain visibility across the entire development lifecycle. Combined platform integrates Socket's open-source library focus with Secure Annex's browser extension and developer tools coverage.
- OpenAI Trusted Access for Cyber ProgramflagshipSocket is part of OpenAI's initial cohort for the Trusted Access for Cyber program, joining Semgrep, Calif, and Trail of Bits. OpenAI committed $10M in API credits for under-resourced open-source defenders through its Cybersecurity Grant Program.
- CoanacoreAcquired Danish startup Coana specializing in security vulnerability reachability analysis. Coana's technology reduces false security alerts by up to 90%, addressing the alert overload problem in complex software dependencies. Integration planned for Socket platform.
- GitHubflagshipDeep integration partnership through Socket GitHub App distributed via GitHub Marketplace. Socket for GitHub catches risky dependency additions and malicious updates in PRs before they merge.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Socket competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Sonatype (Nexus Lifecycle): Sonatype is the established incumbent in SCA with Nexus Lifecycle, offering repository firewall and policy enforcement — a direct competitor to Socket Firewall with deeper enterprise install base but a heavier, less developer-native product.
- GitHub Dependabot / GitHub Advanced Security: GitHub Dependabot is bundled with GitHub repositories and competes directly on dependency scanning; GitHub Advanced Security extends into code scanning. As the platform where Socket is distributed, GH is both a critical channel and a direct competitor with structural cost advantages.
- JFrog Xray: JFrog Xray provides software composition analysis as part of the JFrog Artifactory platform — a broader DevSecOps incumbent competing with Socket in dependency scanning for enterprise DevOps teams, with strong appeal to existing JFrog customers.
Emerging players
- Anchore: Anchore provides software composition analysis and container security with an enterprise focus — competes with Socket in the SCA category, particularly for compliance-driven buyers, and offers SBOM generation aligned with regulatory requirements.
- Endor Labs: Endor Labs is an emerging developer-first supply chain security platform focused on dependency graph analysis and reachability — closely aligned with Socket's Coana-acquired reachability capabilities and competing for the same PLG buyer.
- Chainguard: Chainguard secures the software supply chain through hardened base images and guaranteed-clean open source packages — an emerging player that addresses supply chain risk from a different angle (upstream curation) and overlaps with Socket on the AI-driven enterprise buyer.
Direct peers
- Snyk: Snyk is the market-leading developer-first security platform offering SCA, SAST, container, and IaC scanning — directly competing with Socket across open source dependency analysis, with a more mature enterprise sales motion and broader product portfolio.
- Phylum: Phylum provides automated software supply chain security analyzing package behavior and blocking malicious open source dependencies — a direct technical competitor to Socket's behavioral AI approach, though at smaller scale.
- Semgrep: Semgrep provides developer-first static analysis and supply chain security, and was named alongside Socket in OpenAI's Trusted Access for Cyber cohort. Both target engineering teams with AI-augmented detection and similar PLG-to-enterprise GTM motions.
- Mend (formerly WhiteSource): Mend offers SCA, SAST, and container security with a focus on open source dependency management — directly comparable to Socket's core SCA and license enforcement capabilities, with established enterprise customers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Socket social profiles
Digital presenceSocket compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Socket financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Socket leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Socket subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Socket funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Socket M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Socket
What does Socket do?
Socket provides an AI-powered software supply chain security platform that detects and blocks malicious open source packages in real-time, before they can be installed in developer environments or shipped to production. The platform analyzes package behavior (network calls, file system access, environment variable access, child process execution) to flag suspicious dependencies, integrates directly into GitHub repositories and CI/CD pipelines, and reaches developers through CLI tools, browser extensions, and IDE plugins (VS Code). Socket complements traditional CVE-based vulnerability scanning with behavioral detection of zero-day supply chain attacks and offers reachability analysis to prioritize only those vulnerabilities that affect code paths actually invoked in the application.
Is Socket a public or private company?
Socket is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Socket founded?
Socket was founded in 2020. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Socket based?
Socket is headquartered in Stanford, United States, in the North America region.
How does Socket make money?
One revenue line is on record: subscription-based SaaS Platform.
Who are Socket's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Sonatype (Nexus Lifecycle), GitHub Dependabot / GitHub Advanced Security and JFrog Xray. Emerging players are Anchore, Endor Labs and Chainguard. Direct peers are Snyk, Phylum, Semgrep and Mend (formerly WhiteSource).
Does Socket have an API?
Yes. Socket provides a REST API that enables users to integrate Socket's security features into custom applications. The API supports license policy management, package scanning, threat feeds, organization management, and audit logging. Authentication uses Bearer tokens via API keys. Developer documentation is at docs.socket.dev/reference.
What industry is Socket in?
Socket's product category is Software Supply Chain Security. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADACAD, Software Supply Chain & Dependency Security (SBOM, Signing), with a secondary code of HDADACAF, CI/CD & DevSecOps Security (Pipeline, Secrets, IaC Scanning). Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 7372.