In this episode of The Builders Podcast, host Matt Levenhagen welcomes Eli Tansman, CEO and co-founder of Cygnostic. With deep expertise in cybersecurity and AI security, Eli shares his journey from military cyber operations to building a global company at the forefront of protecting modern development workflows.

Eli’s story is one of rapid evolution and intentional pivots—shifting from cybersecurity services to product-driven solutions that address the urgent challenges of AI, application, and cloud security. This episode digs into the shift from reactive to proactive protection, emphasizing the importance of building security directly into the development process—before vulnerabilities ever make it to production.

From real-time vulnerability detection to preventing prompt injection attacks on LLMs, Eli outlines how his team is redefining the security blueprint for a fast-moving digital world. He also shares how the reseller model enables startups to scale globally while maintaining localized security standards—without overextending their teams.

Whether you're building with AI, deploying in the cloud, or launching new software features, this episode offers an insider’s look at how to secure it all—intentionally.

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Building Security Into Dev Workflows: They integrate integrate real-time vulnerability detection directly into the developer’s workflow—making R&D and security teams true collaborators (“BFFs”).
• AI Security Isn’t Optional: Eli explains how AI introduces new threat vectors—from prompt injections to LLM jailbreaks—and why catching these early is essential for both startups and enterprises.
• Proactive Cloud Security Is the New Standard: Instead of reacting to misconfigurations after deployment, their solutions stop them from ever hitting production—minimizing downtime and long-term risk.
• Specialization as a Competitive Edge: By narrowing focus to AI, application, and cloud security, they stand out in a crowded field—offering startup-friendly, deeply technical, and highly focused protection.
• Global Distribution Through Strategic Partnerships: Eli’s unique reseller model gives cutting-edge security startups global reach while keeping them focused on the U.S. market—bridging innovation with international demand.