An innovative startup in the realm of application security has emerged with a mission to significantly reduce software vulnerabilities and ease the burden on developers. Minimus, led by ex-Twistlock CEO Ben Bernstein, has secured $51 million in seed funding to tackle the complex landscape of software vulnerabilities. Based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the company is set to revolutionize how security is integrated into software development by preventing vulnerabilities before they reach developers, thereby conserving their time and resources.
The startup aims to shift away from traditional alert-driven security systems to a more preventive approach. Bernstein, who has a successful track record with Twistlock, emphasizes that Minimus is designed to give developers precious time back by eliminating the majority of vulnerabilities they typically face. Since its inception in 2022, Minimus has grown to employ 35 people and has attracted investments from YL Ventures and Mayfield, both of whom bring valuable operational insights and previous collaborative experience with Bernstein.
Bernstein’s strategy focuses heavily on research and development, with a forward-looking plan to expand into market outreach as the company grows. The current landscape sees developers overwhelmed with alerts from outdated packages and dependencies, a problem Minimus addresses by providing pre-secured software components. This paradigm shift allows developers to focus on creating without the constant interruption of triaging vulnerability alerts.
What sets Minimus apart is its provision of pre-secured building blocks for developers, ensuring that the software components used are secure from the start. Bernstein highlights the inadequacy of existing tools like Checkmarx and Veracode, which primarily focus on static analysis and overlook the deeper vulnerabilities inherited from open-source dependencies. Minimus, on the other hand, aims to maintain up-to-date security standards by continuously building and updating open-source packages.
In terms of growth metrics, Bernstein is less concerned with immediate revenue and more focused on customer satisfaction and utility. His approach mirrors the early success of Twistlock, where the emphasis was on gaining trust and traction among developers. By prioritizing customer needs and solving their problems effectively, Bernstein believes Minimus will naturally expand and become a key player in the application security sector.