Kusari Emerges with Innovative Open-Source Platform to Enhance Software Supply Chain Security
Kusari, a new startup in the cybersecurity sector, is making strides in the development of a supply chain security platform, leveraging open-source technology to address the increasing threats to software supply chains. In light of a recent survey indicating that 88% of companies view software supply chain security as an enterprise-wide risk, Kusari’s emergence is timely. The same survey also revealed that 65% of companies feel their software supply chain security programs are not as mature as they should be.
The challenge of supply chain security is not new, and many vendors, both large and small, are actively engaged in addressing it. However, Kusari, founded in 2022 by Tim Miller, Michael Lieberman, and Parth Patel, believes it can offer a more effective solution. The team, with backgrounds in financial services and defense, has raised $8 million across pre-seed and seed funding rounds, with contributions from J2 Ventures, Glasswing Ventures, and Unusual Ventures. This funding will support the development of Kusari’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform and expand the team.
Miller, in an interview with TechCrunch, emphasized the lack of education and clarity in software supply chain management and expressed that Kusari’s platform would act like a GPS for navigating supply chain issues. The platform aims to assist chief information security officers in understanding software risks and enable DevOps teams to fix these issues efficiently.
Kusari’s approach uses the open-source project Guac, to which its founders contributed, focusing on identifying the most-used components in a software supply chain and exposing dependencies that pose risks. The platform, powered by Guac, facilitates the tracing of app ownership, ensuring compliance with organizational policies, and understanding changes in software versions. It also offers remediation capabilities, such as determining the impact of a vulnerability and providing a plan for patching it.
Kusari distinguishes itself from competitors like Legit Security, Ox Security, and Snyk by its open-source plus SaaS business model. Miller believes this approach will reduce the cost of managing software vulnerabilities while increasing confidence in doing so. The platform, which is yet to be launched, is slated for release later this year, with future enhancements including a ChatGPT-like chatbot for interacting with Guac.
Despite the current economic slowdown, Miller is optimistic about Kusari’s prospects. The team is focusing on lean operations, hiring experts who can contribute to rapid platform development. While some potential design partners have pulled back due to prioritizing other business initiatives, Kusari continues to progress, leveraging the latest technology built on open source for cost-effective scalability and platform development.