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ComplianceOS by Intellfence
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Free 19-page report · 14 October 2026 · n=130

State of Startup Security 2026

What 130 early-stage startups show enterprise buyers in public, what SOC 2 and ISO 27001 really cost, and a 90-day plan to close the gap.

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No form. Company names withheld.

Inside: benchmarks by sector, stage, and region; SOC 2 and ISO 27001 cost tables; timelines; 20 buyer questions; a 30-60-90 day plan; 10 quick wins; and a one-page self-assessment.

Score 4 or less
47%

Of 130 startups, on the public trust signals buyers check first. Median 4.5. Only 13% reach Advanced (7.5 or more).

The claim gap
5 of 73

56% mention SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Only 5 of those 73 publish a Data Processing Agreement a buyer can open. 28% of the whole sample publish a subprocessor list.

security.txt
4%

Publish a valid security.txt. The average homepage sends 2.37 of 6 basic security headers. 34% have a public status page.

Stage barely moves the score
4.21 vs 4.72

Seed averages 4.21/10. Series A/B averages 4.72/10. Companies publicly working toward SOC 2 average 7.0/10 (a small group; directional).

First SOC 2 Type II
$25–50k

Typical year-one cash cost for a small startup, plus significant internal time. The fastest realistic path to a Type II is about 6–7 months. The report includes a 30-60-90 day plan and a one-page self-assessment.

Method: a passive review of public websites only, carried out 14 Oct 2026, n=130, anonymised. Not an audit. Full method and limitations are in the report.

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From the report

Charts from the 14 October 2026 study of 130 startups. Company names are withheld.

Histogram of public trust scores for 130 startups. 61 score 4 or less, the median band is 4.5 to 5, and 17 reach 7.5 or more.
Public trust score out of 10. 47% score 4 or less. Median 4.5. Only 13% reach Advanced.
Bar chart: 73 of 130 mention SOC 2 or ISO, 5 of those 73 publish an openable DPA, and 36 of 130 publish a subprocessor list.
The claim gap. 56% mention SOC 2 or ISO 27001. Only 5 of those 73 publish a DPA a buyer can open.
Mean public trust score by sector. Fintech 5.58, devtools 5.13, healthcare 4.69, AI and data 4.23, vertical SaaS 3.77, other 5.19.
Mean score by sector. Fintech leads at 5.58. Vertical SaaS is lowest at 3.77. The dashed line is the sample mean, 4.58.
Year-one SOC 2 Type II cost bars for a 15 to 40 person SaaS company: platform, auditor, pen test, and internal time.
Year-one SOC 2 Type II cost for a small startup. Cash is typically $25k–$50k before internal time. Figures are public ranges, not quotes.

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