SunStone
SunStone Secure builds Artemis, an AI-native compliance automation platform that helps U.S. cloud service providers and defense contractors achieve FedRAMP authorization and CMMC certification faster and at lower cost, with layered professional services and a channel partner program for RPOs and C3PAOs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What SunStone does
SunStone Secure is a privately held LLC founded in 2019 and headquartered in Belmont, California, that builds Artemis, an AI-native compliance automation platform purpose-built for U.S. federal and defense compliance programs, principally FedRAMP and CMMC. The platform uses large language models trained specifically on FedRAMP Rev5, FedRAMP 20x, and CMMC requirements, combined with a Digital Twin model of each customer's infrastructure, to automate data ingestion from GRC and security tooling, gap analysis against framework controls, on-demand generation of System Security Plans, Plans of Action and Milestones, policies and supporting artifacts (in both Word and OSCAL formats), and post-authorization continuous monitoring.
The company serves cloud service providers seeking FedRAMP authorization, defense contractors pursuing CMMC certification, and the registered provider organizations (RPOs) and certified third-party assessment organizations (C3PAOs) that advise them. Revenue is generated through tiered Artemis subscriptions (Registered, Certified, and Premier/white-label partner tiers) sold via enterprise field sales and a channel partner program, supplemented by professional services including FedRAMP Compliance-as-a-Service, FedRAMP/CMMC Weekly Office Hours, and a Virtual CISO for Federal Compliance offering. Pricing claims position Artemis at roughly $15K in three-year documentation cost versus $150K–$300K for traditional consulting and $252K–$360K for managed service provider approaches, with the platform reducing post-authorization FTE requirements from three-plus to approximately one-third.
Strategically, SunStone emphasizes complementarity with incumbents rather than displacement—it integrates with Vanta rather than competing with it, supports multi-framework programs including StateRAMP, SOC 2, and ISO 27001, and exposes the platform via APIs and as an MCP server for partner deployments. The company is led by CEO and co-founder Mats Nählinder (former executive at Informix, Arcot, MarkMonitor, IronKey, and Riscure North America) alongside CTO Robert Ficcaglia, with no disclosed institutional funding rounds.
SunStone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SunStone
- Legal name
- SunStone Secure, LLC
- Website
- https://sunstonesecure.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SunStone Secure builds Artemis, an AI-native compliance automation platform that helps U.S. cloud service providers and defense contractors achieve FedRAMP authorization and CMMC certification faster and at lower cost, with layered professional services and a channel partner program for RPOs and C3PAOs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SunStone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SunStone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Artemis Platform Subscription: SaaS subscription for AI-native compliance automation providing gap analysis, documentation generation, and continuous monitoring for FedRAMP and CMMC compliance. Subscription tiers include Registered Partner (up to 5 clients), Certified Partner (up to 20 clients), and Premier Partner (unlimited clients with white-label options).
- Professional Services: Expert services including FedRAMP/CMMC Weekly Office Hours, FedRAMP Compliance as a Service, and Virtual CISO for Federal Compliance. Services provide human expertise complementing platform automation for strategy, validation, and representation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Platform subscription with automation and expert support for compliance documentation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
SunStone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SunStone Secure sells the Artemis Platform, an AI-native compliance automation SaaS that helps cloud service providers and defense contractors achieve FedRAMP authorization and CMMC certification. The platform automates data ingestion, AI-driven gap analysis, SSP/POA&M/policy document generation in OSCAL and Word formats, and continuous monitoring. It is complemented by professional services including FedRAMP Compliance as a Service, weekly Office Hours, and a Virtual CISO offering.
Product overview
SunStone Secure offers the Artemis Platform as its core AI-native compliance automation product, complemented by professional services modules. The Artemis Platform automates FedRAMP and CMMC compliance workflows including data ingestion, gap analysis, document generation (SSPs, POA&Ms, policies), and continuous monitoring. Professional services include FedRAMP/CMMC Weekly Office Hours for expert guidance, FedRAMP Compliance as a Service for end-to-end authorization support, and Virtual CISO for ongoing executive security leadership. The platform and services work together to help organizations achieve compliance 90% faster and at 90% less cost than traditional consulting approaches.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Artemis Platform AI-native compliance automation platform purpose-built for cloud service providers and defense contractors to achieve FedRAMP and CMMC authorization 90% faster and at 90% less cost than traditional methods. Automates data ingestion, AI-driven gap analysis, SSP/POA&M/policy document generation, and continuous monitoring with Digital Twin technology.
- FedRAMP Compliance as a Service Full-service engagement providing end-to-end ownership of the FedRAMP authorization process from gap analysis through final Authority to Operate. Includes Artemis Platform access, dedicated project management, strategic gap analysis, PMO and agency representation, and 3PAO coordination.
- Virtual CISO for Federal Compliance Ongoing executive security leadership service providing a dedicated security executive who owns the compliance program, represents the organization to auditors and agencies, and ensures security posture evolves with changing federal requirements. Includes full platform access, board reporting, risk management, and multi-framework program management.
- FedRAMP/CMMC Weekly Office Hours Weekly sessions providing direct access to SunStone's compliance experts for real-time guidance on compliance decisions, regulatory changes, and strategic planning support.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90% faster FedRAMP authorization (3-4 months vs 12-18 months traditional)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SunStone
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SunStone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
SunStone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- VantacoreTechnology integration partnership where the Artemis Platform connects to Vanta for GRC data ingestion. SunStone successfully brought Vanta through the FedRAMP process and now integrates with Vanta as a complementary platform, providing depth and automation that Vanta cannot deliver for FedRAMP and CMMC requirements.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SunStone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Vanta: Vanta is a leading horizontal GRC and compliance automation platform covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and now expanding into FedRAMP (having been brought through the process by SunStone). It is comparable because it sells overlapping compliance automation to similar mid-market and enterprise customers, but as a much broader platform with significantly more funding and scale than SunStone's FedRAMP/CMMC-specialized offering.
- Drata: Drata is a major horizontal compliance automation platform automating SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and other frameworks for SaaS companies. It is comparable because it targets the same mid-market and enterprise compliance buyer and pursues similar automation-driven positioning, though Drata lacks SunStone's federal FedRAMP/CMMC specialization.
- Secureframe: Secureframe is a compliance automation platform that streamlines SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI, and other audits for SaaS businesses. It competes for the same compliance automation buyer and overlaps in automation-led positioning, but does not specialize in federal FedRAMP/CMMC like SunStone.
- Tugboat Logic (OneTrust): Tugboat Logic was a compliance automation platform acquired by OneTrust, now part of OneTrust's broader GRC portfolio. It is comparable as a horizontally-positioned compliance automation product targeting similar SOC 2 and ISO customers, though it lacks federal FedRAMP/CMMC depth.
Direct peers
- Laika: Laika is a compliance-as-a-service and automation platform combining technology with audit expertise across SOC 2, ISO 27001, HIPAA, and HITRUST. It is comparable because of its integrated compliance-plus-services model and similar mid-market SaaS customer base, though Laika's framework focus is commercial rather than federal.
- RegScale: RegScale is a continuous compliance automation platform purpose-built for heavily regulated industries, including FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST, and SOC 2. It is one of the closest direct peers because it serves the same federal/defense compliance buyer with continuous monitoring and automated documentation, directly competing with SunStone's Artemis Platform.
- Thoropass: Thoropass (formerly A-LIGN's compliance automation arm) is a compliance automation platform with integrated audit expertise covering SOC 2, ISO 27001, HITRUST, and PCI. It is comparable in combining platform automation with audit professional services, mirroring SunStone's platform-plus-expert-services bundling.
Emerging players
- Delve: Delve was an AI-native compliance automation startup focused on SOC 2 and ISO 27001 before being acquired by Vanta. It is comparable as an AI-native competitor targeting the same compliance automation workflow, validating SunStone's AI-native thesis but representing a now-consolidated threat via Vanta.
Others
- Schellman: Schellman is a top-tier CPA-based 3PAO and CMMC C3PAO providing FedRAMP and CMMC assessment services. It is comparable as part of the federal compliance ecosystem and a potential partner or competitor in delivering the human-expert services complement to SunStone's platform.
- Coalfire: Coalfire is a leading FedRAMP 3PAO and CMMC C3PAO with deep federal compliance assessment and advisory practices. It is comparable as a major ecosystem player in the same FedRAMP/CMMC buyer workflow that SunStone sells into, though it operates primarily on the assessment/consulting side rather than the platform side.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SunStone social profiles
Digital presenceSunStone compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
SunStone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SunStone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
SunStone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SunStone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SunStone
What does SunStone do?
SunStone Secure sells the Artemis Platform, an AI-native compliance automation SaaS that helps cloud service providers and defense contractors achieve FedRAMP authorization and CMMC certification. The platform automates data ingestion, AI-driven gap analysis, SSP/POA&M/policy document generation in OSCAL and Word formats, and continuous monitoring. It is complemented by professional services including FedRAMP Compliance as a Service, weekly Office Hours, and a Virtual CISO offering.
Is SunStone a public or private company?
SunStone is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SunStone founded?
SunStone was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SunStone based?
SunStone is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does SunStone make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Artemis Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are professional Services.
Who are SunStone's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Vanta, Drata, Secureframe and Tugboat Logic (OneTrust). Direct peers are Laika, RegScale and Thoropass. Delve is listed as an emerging player. Others are Schellman and Coalfire.
Does SunStone have an API?
Yes. SunStone publishes APIs and edge functions as part of the Artemis Platform. The platform connects to existing infrastructure, security tools, and GRC platforms via API integrations. It supports GRC integration and data ingestion from compliance platforms. The platform is deployable as an MCP server on partner infrastructure for AI-native integrations.