Trickest

High-Level Overview

Trickest is a cybersecurity startup building an all-in-one SaaS platform for offensive security automation, enabling enterprises, ethical hackers, penetration testers, and SecOps teams to create, orchestrate, and scale custom security workflows.[1][2][3][5] The platform integrates over 300 open-source tools, 100+ pre-built workflows, professional modules, and custom scripts via a drag-and-drop editor, supporting use cases like attack surface management (ASM), vulnerability scanning, dynamic application security testing (DAST), threat hunting, and automated penetration testing—all executed in the cloud with autoscaling and cost controls.[3][5][6] It serves cybersecurity professionals seeking to simulate attacker perspectives efficiently, without asset-based pricing limits, and recently launched a free Community Edition to broaden access.[6]

Founded around 2019-2020 and headquartered in Dover, Delaware, Trickest has gained traction through investments like from ICT Hub Venture and trust from security teams, positioning it as a flexible alternative to rigid defensive tools by emphasizing proactive, hacker-like testing.[1][4][6]

Origin Story

Trickest emerged from the hands-on experience of co-founders Nenad Zaric and Mihailo Tomic, who identified gaps in existing cybersecurity tools during their prior roles—Zaric as a penetration tester and bug bounty hunter for companies like Uber, PayPal, Spotify, Airbnb, Twitter, and Snapchat at Seven Bridges, and Tomic as a data engineer at Things Solver.[4] The idea crystallized as a need for an offensive platform akin to "Photoshop for designers," allowing dynamic workflow automation beyond defensive "wall-building," with easy integration of open-source tools, reporting, and community knowledge sharing.[4]

Launched in 2019 (per some records) or 2020 (company self-report), the startup quickly secured early investment from ICT Hub Venture for its Trickest Hive platform prototype, which enabled one-click testing and efficient infrastructure use.[1][4][6] Pivotal moments include building a user-friendly UI for next-gen experts and expanding to enterprise-grade features, humanizing the team as "engineers, former bug bounty hunters, and technology lovers" democratizing offensive security.[4][7]

Core Differentiators

Trickest stands out in the crowded cybersecurity automation space through hacker-centric design and flexibility:

• Visual Workflow Builder: Drag-and-drop editor evolves from terminal-based tools, supporting 300+ CLI tools, 100+ templates, 20+ pro modules, Bash/Python scripts, and custom imports for end-to-end offensive workflows.[3][5]
• Cloud-Native Execution: Autoscaling runs without manual VPS setup or idle costs, handling massive asset scans (hundreds of thousands) with hyperscalable efficiency and real-time results monitoring.[1][3][5]
• Multi-Use Case Coverage: One platform for ASM, continuous vulnerability scanning, DAST, OSINT, threat hunting, purple/red teaming—revealing attacker views with transparency and no asset-based pricing.[5][6]
• Community & Accessibility: Free Community Edition, open-source integrations, and enterprise tools like continuous updates, fostering a knowledge-sharing ecosystem for solo hunters to SecOps teams.[3][6][7]

Compared to competitors like Swimlane (low-code SOAR) or Astra (pentest tools), Trickest prioritizes offensive emulation over broad automation.[1]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Trickest rides the surge in offensive security and cybersecurity automation, fueled by rising threats like ransomware and supply-chain attacks, where organizations shift from reactive defense to proactive attacker simulation.[6] Its timing aligns with AI-driven ops and cloud-native scaling demands, enabling continuous testing amid expanding attack surfaces from hybrid work and IoT proliferation.[3][5]

Market forces favoring Trickest include regulatory pressures (e.g., compliance via tailored workflows) and the skills gap in pentesting, addressed by its accessible UI and pre-built assets that accelerate teams.[4][6] It influences the ecosystem by open-sourcing workflows, empowering bug hunters, and bridging solo pros with enterprises—potentially standardizing offensive platforms like SOAR did for defense.[1][7]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Trickest is poised to capture share in the $10B+ ASM and pentest automation market by scaling its Execution Engine™ for elite, customized ops amid escalating cyber risks.[5][6] Upcoming trends like AI-enhanced fuzzing and integrated threat intel will amplify its edge, with Community Edition driving viral adoption and data flywheels for smarter modules.[3][6]

As attack surfaces balloon, Trickest's hacker-first automation could evolve into the go-to "offensive OS," influencing standards and spawning integrations—cementing its role from niche disruptor to ecosystem cornerstone, much like its founders disrupted Fortune 500 bugs.[4][7]