Knox, the New York City-based startup founded by entrepreneur, creative technologist and artist Irina Denisenko, has raised $6.5 million in a seed funding round. Felicis led the round, with further participation by Ridgeline and FirsthandVC. This funding fulfills Knox’s mission to connect communities to increase the efficiency of the security authorization process for software vendors pursuing Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) certification. Denisenko, who founded the company last year, is now poised to provide such services as national security fears about the use of AI agents grow.
Denisenko, who previously served as CEO of Class.com, played a pivotal role in acquiring CoSo Cloud, a FedRAMP-certified company managing Adobe’s federal cloud services. The acquisition enabled Class.com to reach FedRAMP certification in a record six months. This achievement is an impressive testament to Denisenko’s skill in maneuvering through convoluted regulatory mazes.
It was during these formative years, as a financial analyst that Denisenko became a CFA charterholder. She brings this unique background to the intense challenges of achieving federal compliance. On average, it takes a CFA three years to achieve certification. It further costs over $3 million, underscoring the high stakes that are often combined with compliance efforts.
Responding to the growing need for more effective solutions, Denisenko got to work. He recently spun out the managed cloud service into its own separate company, Knox, which is aimed at helping software vendors speed their FedRAMP process. “This stuff is legitimately very hard and very risky. We will bear the risk,” she stated, emphasizing the support Knox provides to its clients. The startup is focused on assisting SaaS vendors through the complexities of achieving FedRAMP certification. They commit to achieving it in as little as three months and at a third of the cost when compared to doing it solo.
Knox currently manages security and compliance for various clients, including Adobe, Class.com, Spacelift, and a large language model (LLM) provider. The company’s quality assurance department closely tracks all applications for software updates and quickly addresses any compliance issues that may develop. Denisenko believes that by simplifying the FedRAMP process, Knox can enable software vendors to access government contracts with greater ease.
Going into Knox’s first full year as a company, it hopes to have over a dozen active customers running on its cloud services. This remarkable increase is a testament to Knox’s success in a competitive environment. Denisenko’s firsthand experience with the challenges of obtaining FedRAMP certification informs every aspect of Knox’s operations, positioning the company as a key player in federal compliance solutions.
“Even anthropic couldn’t figure this out on their own.” – Irina Denisenko
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