Continuous Compliance as Default Operating Model
Sam Li and Austin Ogilvie, co-CEOs of Laika, on the compliance-as-a-service business model
This turns compliance from a software company problem into a default operating problem for almost every modern business. Once sales, support, finance, and operations all run through cloud apps, identity systems, code repositories, and employee devices, buyers expect proof that those systems are locked down. That is why Laika is selling more than audit prep. It is packaging scarce security and compliance expertise into software that watches those systems continuously, instead of forcing each company to hire its own specialist team.
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The practical workflow is very concrete. A company connects AWS, GitHub, Okta, HR systems, and device tools, then the platform pulls evidence, checks settings like access controls and encryption, flags failures, and organizes the work for auditors. That replaces the old screenshot and spreadsheet process with live system data.
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The reason this exists as a service is labor scarcity. Laika describes a world where companies cannot pair every engineer with a compliance expert, and industry data shows cybersecurity staffing and skills shortages remain widespread. The bottleneck is not just doing the work, it is finding enough qualified people to interpret and validate it.
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Vanta, Secureframe, and Laika all follow the same wedge. Start with SOC 2 because enterprise deals often stall without it, use integrations to shorten time to audit, then expand into more frameworks and buyer due diligence. The common pattern is recurring software revenue built on top of a formerly one off consulting motion.
This category is heading toward a system of record for trust, not just a faster audit checklist. As more companies adopt more software, the winning platforms will keep expanding from SOC 2 into vendor reviews, security questionnaires, and adjacent security monitoring, turning compliance data into an always on layer that helps companies win deals and stay audit ready year round.