Who owns Critical Start?

Critical Start is owned by Vista Equity Partners, which acquired it in April 2022.

Where is Critical Start headquartered?

Critical Start is headquartered in Plano, United States.

Who is the CEO of Critical Start?

Francine Geist is the CEO of Critical Start.

Who founded Critical Start?

Rob Davis is a founder of Critical Start, founded in 2012.

What products does Critical Start sell?

Critical Start sells Critical Start CTI, Critical Start CORR Platform, Critical Start Cortex XDR with MDR, and Critical Start MOBILESOC.

Critical Start

Security OperationsPlano, United Statesfounded 2012acquired by Vista Equity Partnerscriticalstart.com ↗

Critical Start is a cybersecurity company specializing in Security Operations, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Plano, United States. It has raised $40M in equity across 1 priced round, employs about 258 people, and was acquired by Vista Equity Partners in 2022.

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updated Oct 30, 2026

Latest Critical Start news and company activity

What Critical Start did, dated — selected moves from the record, one per kind, newest first.

Oct 2026RecognitionCritical Start Named in Managed SIEM Services Market Share Ranking
Jul 2026Exec changeCritical Start Appoints Francine Geist as Chief Executive Officer
Jun 2026Product launchCritical Start Delivers SOC AI: A Production-Proven Agentic Framework
Apr 2022Mega roundCritical Start Secures Over $215 Million Strategic Growth Investment from Vista Equity Partners

Critical Start Momentum score

35/ 100

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Critical Start products

Critical Start funding

Critical Start has raised $40M in priced equity. Its most recent round was a Private Equity in June 2019. Bregal Sagemount is the one investor on record.

Equity raised: $40M1 priced round
Last round: Private EquityJun 2019

View the complete funding history

Critical Start employees and hiring

As of September 2026, Critical Start has about 258 employees, down 7% over the last 30 days, with 3 open roles.

Employees: 258
30-day change: -7%
Open roles: 3

See hiring trends

Critical Start competitors

Competitors of Critical Start include UnderDefense, OneClickComply, and AhnLab. 100 more are in the platform, with overlap scoring.

matched by product category and features

View all 103 competitors with overlap scores

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The other 440 data points.

Funding historyevery round, every investor named
Headcount growthvelocity, departments, seniority
Open jobs3 live postings, role mix
Tech stackframeworks, clouds, security
Competitorsfull set, overlap scored
Leadershipevery exec, with roles
Customersnamed publicly, with sources
Reviews & newssentiment, coverage, cadence

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Funding, round by round, with the investors
Headcount, hiring and the people
The timeline of what they did, dated
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The other 440 data points.

Funding historyevery round, every investor named
Headcount growthvelocity, departments, seniority
Open jobs3 live postings, role mix
Tech stackframeworks, clouds, security

Similar in Security Operations

Common questions about Critical Start.

How much funding has Critical Start raised?: Critical Start has raised $40M in priced equity. Its most recent round was a Private Equity in June 2019. Bregal Sagemount is the one investor on record.
How many people work at Critical Start?: As of September 2026, Critical Start has about 258 employees, down 7% over the last 30 days, with 3 open roles.
Who owns Critical Start?: Critical Start is owned by Vista Equity Partners, which acquired it in April 2022.
Where is Critical Start headquartered?: Critical Start is headquartered in Plano, United States.
Who is the CEO of Critical Start?: Francine Geist is the CEO of Critical Start.
Who founded Critical Start?: Rob Davis is a founder of Critical Start, founded in 2012.
Who are Critical Start's competitors?: Competitors of Critical Start include UnderDefense, OneClickComply, and AhnLab. 100 more are in the platform, with overlap scoring.
What does Critical Start do?: Critical Start is a cybersecurity company specializing in Security Operations, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Plano, United States.