Snyk vs Vanta: Founders, CEOs and History
Snyk was founded in 2015 by Guy Podjarny, Assaf Hefetz, Danny Grander and is led by Kenneth MacAskill (Interim CEO). Vanta was founded in 2018 by Christina Cacioppo, Erik Goldman and is led by Christina Cacioppo.
Company facts
Founders
Snyk
Guy Podjarny
Guy Podjarny co-founded Snyk in 2015 and was its CEO until July 2019, when Peter McKay took over and Podjarny became president and chairman. He later founded AI-native software development startup Tessl.
Assaf Hefetz
Assaf Hefetz co-founded Snyk in 2015 with Guy Podjarny and Danny Grander and worked on the engineering behind its early dependency scanning and vulnerability data pipelines.
Danny Grander
Danny Grander co-founded Snyk in 2015 and led security research, including work on the Snyk vulnerability database and disclosures such as the 2018 'Zip Slip' archive-extraction vulnerability.
Vanta
Christina Cacioppo
Christina Cacioppo co-founded Vanta in 2018 with Erik Goldman, a former Dropbox colleague, and has been CEO since. The company went through Y Combinator's Winter 2018 batch and began by automating SOC 2 evidence collection.
Erik Goldman
Erik Goldman co-founded Vanta with Christina Cacioppo in 2018; CNBC describes him as a former Dropbox colleague.
CEOs and their tenures
Snyk
- Guy Podjarny2015–present
Co-Founder; CEO 2015-2019; Chairman
Founding CEO who set Snyk's developer-first approach; returned to the board as chairman in 2026.
Source - Peter McKay2019–2026
CEO
Former Veeam co-CEO who led Snyk from 2019, through its 2021-2022 mega-rounds, to over $300M in revenue. He announced his exit in February 2026, left the board on May 15, 2026 and moved to an advisory role.
Source - Kenneth MacAskill2026–present
Interim CEO (also CFO)
Snyk's CFO, named interim CEO in 2026 after Peter McKay stepped down, while the board searches for a permanent, AI-focused CEO.
Source
Vanta
- Christina Cacioppo2018–present
Co-founder & CEO
Cacioppo has run Vanta since founding it in 2018. Under her it raised four venture rounds, moved from SOC 2 for startups to a broader compliance and trust platform, and reported $300M+ ARR in April 2026.
Source
Timeline: Snyk and Vanta side by side
2015Snyk
Snyk founded
Guy Podjarny, Assaf Hefetz and Danny Grander founded Snyk to find and fix vulnerable open-source dependencies.
2018Vanta
Christina Cacioppo and Erik Goldman found Vanta in San Francisco.
2019Snyk
Peter McKay becomes CEO
Former Veeam co-CEO Peter McKay succeeded Guy Podjarny as CEO; Podjarny became president and chairman.
2020Snyk
DeepCode acquisition
Snyk acquired Zurich-based DeepCode, whose AI code analysis became Snyk Code.
2021Snyk
$8.5B peak valuation
Snyk raised a $530 million Series F at an $8.5 billion valuation.
2022Snyk
$196.5M Series G at $7.4B
Snyk raised its last disclosed round at a lower $7.4 billion valuation and cut about 14% of staff.
2022Vanta
$110 million Series B at a $1.6 billion valuation
Vanta raised $110 million in June 2022 in a round led by Craft Ventures, with Sequoia Capital and Y Combinator participating, valuing the company at $1.6 billion.
2023Vanta
Vanta acquires Trustpage, a security-review and trust-center startup.
2024Vanta
$150M Series C led by Sequoia Capital at a $2.45B valuation; ARR reaches about $100M.
2025Snyk
Invariant Labs acquisition
Snyk bought AI agent security research firm Invariant Labs; full-year revenue rose 11% to $309.2 million.
2025Vanta
Acquires Riskey for continuous vendor risk monitoring; $150M Series D led by Wellington Management at $4.15B.
2026Snyk
CEO transition
Peter McKay stepped down, CFO Kenneth MacAskill became interim CEO and Guy Podjarny returned as chairman.
2026Vanta
Reports $300M+ ARR and 16,000+ customers (April); named to the CNBC Disruptor 50 (May).
Acquisitions
Snyk
- Invariant Labs2025Undisclosed
- Enso Security2023Undisclosed
- DeepCode2020Undisclosed
Questions about Snyk vs Vanta
Who is the CEO of Snyk and Vanta?
Snyk is led by Kenneth MacAskill (Interim CEO) and Vanta is led by Christina Cacioppo. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was Snyk founded vs Vanta?
Snyk was founded in 2015 — 3 years before Vanta, which was founded in 2018. Snyk's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Vanta.
How many employees does Snyk have compared to Vanta?
Snyk employs approximately 990 people. A verified employee count for Vanta is not currently available.
Where are Snyk and Vanta headquartered?
Both Snyk and Vanta are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded Snyk and Vanta?
Snyk was founded by Guy Podjarny, Assaf Hefetz, Danny Grander. Vanta was founded by Christina Cacioppo, Erik Goldman.
Which company has a longer operating history — Snyk or Vanta?
Snyk has been operating for approximately 11 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Vanta has been in operation for around 8 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the Snyk vs Vanta overview