From 2x Founder to VC: What Actually Makes Startups Win - Runtime Ventures

From Zero-Days to Series A: Building The Binary Security Layer - RevEng.AI

In this episode of CyberBytes: The Podcast, we’re joined by James Patrick-Evans, Founder & CEO of RevEng.AI, to explore how AI is reshaping the future of software supply chain security. Fresh off the announcement of RevEng AI’s Series A, James breaks down how the company is building foundational AI models capable of analyzing binary code to detect security vulnerabilities, malware, and malicious intent hidden deep inside software. We dive into: * Why traditional software supply chain security isn’t enough anymore * The growing threat of attacks through third-party dependencies * How RevEng AI is applying frontier AI techniques to reverse engineering * The journey from PhD research and malware analysis to founding a deep tech cybersecurity startup * Building a world-class technical team and scaling as a first-time founder * The future of AI-generated software and why binary-level security verification will become criticalJames also shares his thoughts on the rapid evolution of AI in cybersecurity, the challenges defenders face in a world where humans no longer fully understand the code being created, and why he believes AI will ultimately become a net positive for security. A fascinating conversation on deep tech, AI, cyber defense, and building one of the UK’s most exciting cybersecurity startups. James's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-patrick-evans-204310236/ RevEng.AI - https://reveng.ai/ Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/ Aspiron Search - https://aspironsearch.com/

AI vs. AI: Ocean's Fight Against Email Attacks

Shay Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of Ocean, joins us fresh off a $28M seed round led by Lightspeed to talk about the email security problem that's gone unsolved for years, and why AI has finally made it possible to crack it. Shay and his co-founder Oran spent years as nation-state operators building the exact attacks that today's tools can't catch. They started Ocean because they knew what a solution would need to look like, and they knew the technology to build it hadn't existed until now.In this episode, Shay breaks down why spear phishing has always gotten through, how AI has turned nation-state-level attacks into a commodity available to anyone, and how Ocean's agentic AI platform investigates every email in real time, eliminating the manual workload that's been burning out security teams for decades. We get into the customer stories, the AI vs. AI dynamic that Shay believes puts Ocean one step ahead of attackers for the first time, and what the next 12 months look like as they come out of stealth. Shay's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayshwartz/ Ocean - https://ocean.security/ Nina's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-korfias-39981311/ Aspiron Influence - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-influence/

The Future of Security Operations Is Agentic - Leen

In this episode, we sit down with Kabir Mathur, CEO and Founder of Leen, to explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the future of cybersecurity operations. Since his last appearance on the show, Leen has evolved from building a security data fabric into creating an agentic AI platform designed to help security teams actually solve problems, not just generate more alerts. Kabir breaks down why security teams are drowning in fragmented tooling, how Leen’s context layer connects data across the entire security stack, and why trust and deterministic guardrails are critical for enterprise AI adoption. We dive into: * Why AI in cybersecurity feels “real” for CISOs in 2026 * The challenge of fragmented security data and operational overload * How Leen is using agentic workflows to automate remediation and security operations * The rise of AI-powered security programs beyond the SOC * Why context is the missing layer in enterprise security AI * Human-in-the-loop security automation and auditable AI decision-making * The future of non-human identities, AI governance, and security operations Kabir also shares insights from RSA, Leen’s rapid early customer traction, and his vision for how AI agents will augment cybersecurity teams over the next 12 months. A must-listen for security leaders, founders, practitioners, and anyone interested in the next wave of AI-native cybersecurity infrastructure. Kabir's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathurkabir/ Leen - https://www.linkedin.com/company/leen-inc/ Steffen's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffenfoley/ Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

From 2x Founder to VC: What Actually Makes Startups Win - Runtime Ventures

In this episode, we’re joined by David Endler, 2x founder and now GP & Co-Founder of Runtime Ventures, a pre-seed and seed fund focused on cybersecurity.Recorded live at RSA 2026, Dave shares what he’s hearing directly from CISOs on the ground, from rising concerns around AI and “vibe coding” to how security teams are actually thinking about budget and priorities right now.We dive into his journey from security researcher to founder (with two successful exits), and now to investor, unpacking what’s changed in how he evaluates startups today.We cover:* What CISOs are really spending money on in 2026* How AI is reshaping security teams and creating new risks* What Runtime looks for in early-stage founders* The biggest mistakes first-time founders make* Why go-to-market is still the hardest part of building a cyber startupDave also shares the story that first got him into cybersecurity, and the surprising full-circle moment that happened just days before this recording.If you’re a founder, operator, or investor in cybersecurity, this is a must-listen on what it actually takes to build and back a winning company today.David's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidendler/Runtime Ventures - https://www.runtime.vc/Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/Aspiron Search - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aspiron-search/

The Future of Security Training Is Personalised - Herd Security

This one’s been a long time coming.We sat down with Brandon Min, CEO and Co-founder of Herd Security, live at RSA 2026 to talk about why security awareness training needs a complete rethink. We get into: * The problem with compliance-led training * Why most employees disengage from security programmes * How Herd is using AI to personalise training at scale * The role of creativity in security teams * And how to actually drive behaviour change across organisations We also dive into Brandon’s background from Duo Security to building his second company, and the entrepreneurial journey that led him here. A great episode for anyone building, buying, or rethinking security programmes. Brandon's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-min-356ab290/ Herd Security - https://www.herdsecurity.io/ Oliver's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliverlegg/ Aspiron Search - https://aspironsearch.com/