StackHawk provides developer-focused application and API security testing software built around an AppSec Intelligence platform. Its offering combines API Attack Surface Discovery from source code, runtime testing that runs inside CI/CD and pre-production workflows, and centralized application security oversight so teams can understand what exists, what is vulnerable, and what has been tested.
StackHawk is positioned for modern software environments where APIs, microservices, and AI-enabled features change quickly. The platform emphasizes fast runtime validation, configuration-as-code, high-signal findings, and feedback delivered in developer workflows, helping organizations move security earlier in the software delivery lifecycle without relying on slow, production-only testing.
Offerings, Capabilities, and Integrations
StackHawk’s capabilities span source-code-based attack surface discovery, runtime application and API security testing, and centralized visibility into coverage, findings, and risk trends. The platform supports authenticated testing and modern application interfaces including REST, GraphQL, gRPC, SOAP, WebSocket, LLM-powered features, and remote MCP servers. It also uses repository context, sensitive data detection, and automated OpenAPI specification generation to help teams prioritize what to test and expand coverage faster.
StackHawk is built to fit existing engineering and AppSec workflows. It connects with source control platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos, and automates testing through CI/CD tools including GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, Azure Pipelines, Jenkins, CircleCI, and AWS code services. Workflow and ecosystem integrations extend to Slack, Jira Cloud, Microsoft Teams, Azure DevOps Boards, GitHub CodeQL, Semgrep, Snyk, Endor Labs, Wiz, Microsoft Defender for Cloud, and enterprise SSO providers such as Okta, Auth0, Google, and Keycloak.
Products and Services
- API Attack Surface Discovery: Maps APIs, applications, and related attack surface directly from connected source code repositories, with repository insights and automated OpenAPI specification generation to accelerate test coverage.
- Runtime Application Security Testing: Runs runtime security testing against live applications and APIs inside development and pre-production workflows to surface exploitable vulnerabilities with reproducible findings and remediation context.
- Application Security Oversight: Provides centralized visibility into scan coverage, testing activity, vulnerability trends, and program performance so security teams can monitor risk and identify gaps across the organization.
- Shift-Left API Security Testing: Embeds API security testing into CI/CD so developers can find and fix issues before release, with faster feedback loops aligned to software delivery workflows.
- Remote MCP Server Security Testing: Tests remote Model Context Protocol servers for issues such as injection, SSRF, and data exposure using StackHawk’s runtime testing engine and protocol-aware discovery.
- LLM Application Security Testing: Tests LLM-enabled applications for runtime risks such as prompt injection, sensitive data disclosure, improper output handling, system prompt leakage, and unbound consumption.
- Code-Based Sensitive Data Detection: Analyzes connected repositories to identify APIs and applications handling regulated or sensitive data such as PII, PCI, and PHI so teams can prioritize higher-risk assets.
- gRPC Security Testing: Applies automated runtime security testing to gRPC services and endpoints so teams can uncover vulnerabilities in modern microservice and distributed application environments.
- GraphQL Security Testing: Tests GraphQL APIs with schema-aware and introspection-driven security checks to identify vulnerabilities in queries, mutations, and federated GraphQL services.
- Business Logic Testing: Automates multi-user and workflow-aware testing to detect authorization flaws such as BOLA and BFLA, along with other business logic vulnerabilities that single-session scans often miss.
Target Customers
StackHawk targets software teams building modern web applications, APIs, microservices, and AI-enabled services that release frequently and need security testing earlier in the development lifecycle. Its developer-first model is suited to engineering organizations that want runtime validation in CI/CD rather than relying only on static analysis or late-stage production scans.
The platform also fits AppSec teams that need broader visibility across many repositories, services, and development teams without adding significant manual overhead. It is especially relevant for organizations with complex authenticated APIs, distributed application portfolios, or regulated data exposure concerns, including teams in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, education technology, cloud software, and AI-driven products.
Cloud Integrations and Marketplace
- AWS Marketplace: StackHawk is available through AWS Marketplace and supports AWS-centric deployment and automation patterns, including use with AWS CodeBuild and AWS CodePipeline for security testing in software delivery workflows.
- Azure Marketplace: StackHawk is available through Azure Marketplace and supports Microsoft-centric workflows through integrations with Azure DevOps Pipelines, Azure DevOps Boards, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud.
Key People
- Joni Klippert: CEO, Co-Founder
- Scott Gerlach: CSO, Co-Founder
- Joe Sullivan: Board Director
- KC Berg: Chief Architect
- David Geevaratne: EVP of Sales
- Daryl Allen: VP of Finance
- Matt Thompson: VP of Success
- Billy Shea: Director of Ops & Analytics
Key Facts
- Headquarters: Denver, Colorado, United States
- Employees: 11-50
- Annual Revenue: Undisclosed
- Parent Company: None
- Subsidiaries: None
- Publicly Listed: No
