CleanStart
CleanStart provides software supply chain security tools including hardened, near-zero-CVE container images, verified open-source library governance, and runtime posture visibility for enterprise development teams and CISOs in regulated industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2026
- HeadquartersLewes, Delaware, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What CleanStart does
CleanStart is a private cybersecurity company that provides software supply chain security tools anchored on hardened container images and open-source dependency governance. Its core platform consists of Clean Images (near-zero-CVE hardened base containers with SLSA Level 3 cryptographic provenance and Cosign-signed attestations), Clean Libraries (verified dependency governance including AI-introduced libraries), and CleanSight (runtime visibility, posture reporting, and drift detection across container environments such as AWS EKS). Underlying the product suite is the Tricorder-powered CleanStart Intelligence Center, which performs continuous verification across the software lifecycle from source and dependencies through build, registry, deploy, and runtime.
The company targets CISOs, security leaders, and enterprise development teams in regulated verticals — primarily BFSI, healthcare, telecom, and IT services — where FIPS 140-3 compliance, verifiable SBOMs, and tamper-evident provenance are material procurement criteria. Its 30+ disclosed customer base includes marquee logos such as Vodafone Idea, IIFL Finance, KPMG, Federal Bank, 5paisa, Coforge, Mahindra, and Aurascape, with reported outcomes of 88,000+ CVEs remediated, 90%+ average CVE reduction, and 300,000+ engineering hours saved. CleanStart holds SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, Docker Verified Publisher, and SLSA Level 3 certifications, and offers a FIPS 140-3 validated image set as a drop-in replacement for regulated environments.
Revenue is generated through quote-based enterprise subscriptions for image access, dependency governance, and multi-year enterprise agreements with tiered support. Distribution combines a hybrid go-to-market: a self-serve image browsing portal (images.cleanstart.com), Docker Verified Publisher marketplace distribution, and direct enterprise field sales targeting CISOs and developers. The company operates through a US parent (CleanStart Security Inc., Lewes, Delaware) with wholly-owned subsidiaries in India (Ahmedabad) and Singapore, supports 100+ employees, and lists 16 open roles across engineering, GTM, and design.
CleanStart firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CleanStart
- Legal name
- CleanStart Security Inc.
- Website
- https://cleanstart.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2026
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- CleanStart provides software supply chain security tools including hardened, near-zero-CVE container images, verified open-source library governance, and runtime posture visibility for enterprise development teams and CISOs in regulated industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CleanStart industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Container Security
- NAICS
- Security Systems Services (56162), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cloud Security Services (Posture Mgmt, Workload Protection) (BPAKAHAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Data Security & Privacy for Cloud (DLP, DSPM, Tokenization) (HDABAHAK), Cloud Data Security (DSPM, Cloud DLP) (HDADADAJ)
Keywords
Where CleanStart is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lewes, Delaware
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
CleanStart business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Container Image Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to verified, zero-CVE hardened container images with continuous updates, SBOMs, and provenance attestations. Organizations pay for image access with tiered support levels.
- Clean Libraries: Subscription pricing for verified dependency governance including AI-introduced libraries, with enterprise licensing for team-wide deployment.
- Enterprise Licenses: Multi-year enterprise agreements for large organizations requiring FIPS compliance, dedicated support, and custom integration requirements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise subscription with dedicated support and compliance features |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
CleanStart product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CleanStart provides a Software Supply Chain Posture Management platform offering verified, near-zero CVE hardened container base images, trusted open-source library governance (including AI-introduced dependencies), and runtime vulnerability visibility with posture reporting and drift detection. The offering targets enterprise development teams and security leaders needing drop-in container foundations, FIPS 140-3 compliance, verifiable SBOMs, and SLSA Level 3 provenance attestation.
Product overview
CleanStart is a software supply chain security platform that provides a portfolio of products for verifying, securing, and governing container images and open-source libraries. The core offering consists of three integrated products: Clean Images (hardened, near-zero CVE container base images with cryptographic signing and SLSA provenance), Clean Libraries (verified open-source library governance for dependencies including AI-introduced libraries), and CleanSight (runtime visibility and posture management for vulnerabilities and drift). These products work together to address the software supply chain from source through runtime, enabling organizations to replace vulnerable components with verified alternatives and continuously validate integrity and compliance readiness. The platform also includes the CleanStart Intelligence Center powered by Tricorder analysis technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clean Images: Hardened base images with near-zero CVEs, signed provenance, and runtime visibility for container security.
- Clean Libraries
- CleanSight
Products and services
- Clean Images Hardened base container images with near-zero CVEs, cryptographically signed with SLSA Level 3 attestation, providing verifiable provenance and SBOM for every release. Designed as drop-in replacements for enterprise development teams and CISOs in regulated industries needing to reduce inherited attack surface.
- Clean Libraries Verified open-source library governance solution for managing dependencies, including AI-introduced libraries, ensuring trusted components reach developers and AI coding assistants before entering the software supply chain.
- CleanSight Runtime visibility platform providing posture reporting and drift detection across container environments such as AWS EKS, continuously identifying inherited software supply chain risk for security and platform teams.
Quantifiable outcome
- 90%+ average CVE reduction achieved through hardened images
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CleanStart
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CleanStart technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature7 records
CleanStart partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights7 records
CleanStart competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Wiz: Cloud security posture management (CSPM) and CNAPP leader with broad enterprise distribution. Overlaps on cloud security posture, vulnerability, and compliance reporting that CleanSight provides for container environments.
- JFrog: End-to-end DevSecOps platform with Artifactory, Xray, and Curation — covering binary management, SCA, and container security at enterprise scale. Overlaps with Clean Libraries and Clean Images posture management.
- Snyk: Developer security platform spanning SCA, container, IaC, and code security. A broader incumbent addressing similar software supply chain risks with a much wider portfolio and established enterprise distribution.
- Docker (Docker Scout): Container platform incumbent with Docker Scout providing image scanning, SBOMs, and provenance. As a distribution partner today (Docker Verified Publisher), it is also a potential long-term competitor on image-level security insights.
Direct peers
- Sonatype: Long-standing software supply chain security vendor (Nexus platform) covering open-source dependency governance and repository management. Directly competes on the verified dependency / library governance wedge.
- Aqua Security: Cloud-native application protection platform (CNAPP) covering container security, runtime protection, and supply chain security. Direct competitor on workload protection and posture management for cloud-native workloads.
- Anchore: Software supply chain security platform offering SBOM generation, container image scanning, and compliance enforcement. Directly comparable in container security posture and verifiable provenance, with overlap on CleanStart's Clean Images and CleanSight value props.
- Chainguard: Closest direct competitor — also provides hardened, minimal, zero-to-low CVE container base images (Chainguard Images) with SBOMs and provenance, targeting regulated enterprise workloads. Overlaps on the same core wedge CleanStart occupies.
Emerging players
- Endor Labs: Software supply chain security startup focused on dependency graph analysis, reachability, and SCA modernization. Adjacent competitor on the verified open-source libraries and AI dependency governance wedge.
- Socket: Developer-first supply chain security company focused on open-source package risk detection and malicious dependency blocking. Comparable on the developer-pull motion for dependency governance.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CleanStart social profiles
Digital presenceCleanStart compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
CleanStart financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CleanStart leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CleanStart subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
CleanStart funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CleanStart 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 CleanStart
What does CleanStart do?
CleanStart provides a Software Supply Chain Posture Management platform offering verified, near-zero CVE hardened container base images, trusted open-source library governance (including AI-introduced dependencies), and runtime vulnerability visibility with posture reporting and drift detection. The offering targets enterprise development teams and security leaders needing drop-in container foundations, FIPS 140-3 compliance, verifiable SBOMs, and SLSA Level 3 provenance attestation.
Is CleanStart a public or private company?
CleanStart is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was CleanStart founded?
CleanStart was founded in 2026. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CleanStart based?
CleanStart is headquartered in Lewes, Delaware, United States, in the North America region.
How does CleanStart make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Container Image Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are clean Libraries and enterprise Licenses.
Who are CleanStart's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Wiz, JFrog, Snyk and Docker (Docker Scout). Direct peers are Sonatype, Aqua Security, Anchore and Chainguard. Emerging players are Endor Labs and Socket.
Does CleanStart have an API?
No public API is recorded for CleanStart.
What industry is CleanStart in?
CleanStart's product category is Container Security. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAKAHAK, Cloud Security Services (Posture Mgmt, Workload Protection), with a secondary code of HDABAHAK, Data Security & Privacy for Cloud (DLP, DSPM, Tokenization). Its NAICS code is 56162 and its SIC code is 7372.