Founder & CEO of Cybrovate
TheCconnects: Vikas, it’s a pleasure to have you with us. Your career spans nearly two decades across large-scale engineering, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity, and now you’re building a new-age security company. For our readers, could you start by walking us through your professional journey and how you arrived at your current role as Founder and CEO of Cybrovate?
Vikas Gautam:
Thank you, it’s great to be here. My journey has been very organic. I started my career as a software engineer, deeply focused on building reliable systems and understanding how technology behaves at scale. Over the years, I worked on complex platforms-government clouds, enterprise applications, and services used by millions of people daily. Those experiences taught me that technology doesn’t fail because of lack of effort; it fails when systems become too complex to manage.
During my time at Microsoft and later at GitHub, I saw firsthand how cloud adoption and rapid innovation were transforming businesses-but also expanding the attack surface. Security teams were under constant pressure, dealing with fragmented tools, endless alerts, and limited context. That’s when I realized cybersecurity needed a fundamental rethink. Instead of adding more tools, we needed smarter systems. That realization eventually led me to found Cybrovate in early 2025.
TheCconnects: Was there a specific moment when you knew it was time to move from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship?
Vikas Gautam:
There wasn’t a single dramatic moment. It was more of an accumulation of frustration and clarity. I kept asking myself why, despite massive investments, security teams were still overwhelmed. The answer wasn’t lack of talent or intent-it was the way security was being designed. I felt that with my background, I had both the responsibility and the opportunity to try something different. Entrepreneurship, for me, wasn’t about leaving a job; it was about committing fully to solving a problem I deeply cared about.
TheCconnects: Who has influenced you the most in your life and career, and why?
Vikas Gautam:
I’ve been influenced more by mindsets than by individuals. Working in strong engineering cultures influenced how I think about ownership, accountability, and long-term thinking. I’ve also learned a lot from people who quietly lead by example-managers and peers who focused on doing the right thing even when it wasn’t the easiest path.
On a personal level, my family has been a constant influence. They’ve always emphasized integrity and perseverance. Those values matter a lot in cybersecurity, where trust is everything and shortcuts can have serious consequences.
TheCconnects: Building a cybersecurity startup in such a competitive market can’t be easy. What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced so far?
Vikas Gautam:
One of the biggest challenges was deciding what not to build. The cybersecurity market is crowded with feature-heavy products. Early on, we had to be very disciplined about our focus-reducing alert fatigue, improving prioritization, and making SOC workflows simpler. That meant saying no to many good ideas so we could do a few things exceptionally well.
Another challenge was shifting from a large-company mindset to a startup environment. In a startup, every decision is amplified. You don’t have layers of process to fall back on. You learn quickly to balance speed with responsibility, especially when you’re building systems that protect real organizations from real threats.
TheCconnects: How did you personally overcome those challenges?
Vikas Gautam:
By staying close to the ground. I spend a lot of time understanding how security teams actually work-what frustrates them, what slows them down, and what they wish their tools did better. That feedback loop keeps us honest. I also surrounded myself with people who are not just technically strong, but willing to challenge assumptions. Good teams don’t just execute; they question.
TheCconnects: Looking back across your career so far, what key lessons stand out most clearly?
Vikas Gautam:
One major lesson is that complexity is the enemy of resilience. The more fragmented your systems are, the harder it becomes to secure them. Another lesson is that automation without context is dangerous. AI should reduce cognitive load, not increase it.
I’ve also learned that leadership is about clarity. When teams understand why they’re building something, execution becomes much stronger. Finally, consistency matters more than intensity. Sustainable progress comes from showing up every day and improving incrementally.
TheCconnects: From your perspective, what is the biggest challenge brands and enterprises face in the digital and cybersecurity space today?
Vikas Gautam:
The biggest challenge is signal versus noise. Organizations are collecting massive amounts of data, but very little actionable intelligence. Security teams are flooded with alerts, many of which don’t matter, while genuinely critical threats can get missed.
Another challenge is accessibility. Enterprise-grade security has traditionally been complex and expensive. Mid-sized organizations often struggle to adopt the same level of protection, which creates risk across the ecosystem.
TheCconnects: How does Cybrovate address these pain points differently from traditional security tools?
Vikas Gautam:
Cybrovate is built with an intelligence-first approach. Instead of generating endless alerts, our platform focuses on prioritizing real threats using context. Our SmartSOC™ engine correlates signals across cloud and endpoint environments, understands risk, and guides response.
We’ve built over 1,200 unique detections and designed the platform to work across Windows, Linux, and cloud environments like AWS, Azure, and GCP. The idea is to give security teams clarity instead of complexity-faster decisions, reduced manual effort, and better outcomes without needing a massive SOC team.
TheCconnects: You’re known for building strong teams. What’s your leadership philosophy as a founder?
Vikas Gautam:
I believe leadership is about trust and accountability. My role is to set direction, remove obstacles, and create an environment where people can do their best work. At Cybrovate, we value curiosity, ownership, and continuous learning. Cybersecurity evolves every day, so our mindset has to evolve with it.
TheCconnects: Outside of work, how do you spend your free time and recharge?
Vikas Gautam:
I enjoy reading-especially about systems thinking, leadership, and emerging technologies. I also value quiet time for reflection. Building a company requires constant decision-making, and stepping back occasionally helps me stay balanced and clear-headed.
TheCconnects: Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those looking to build in deep-tech or cybersecurity?
Vikas Gautam:
Start with the problem, not the product. Spend time understanding the pain deeply before you try to solve it. Be patient-deep-tech companies take time to mature, but the impact can be significant if you get it right.
Most importantly, build with integrity. In cybersecurity, trust is everything. If you earn it and protect it, growth will follow naturally.
TheCconnects: Vikas, thank you for sharing your journey and insights. It’s been a thoughtful and inspiring conversation.Vikas Gautam:
Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to share our story and vision.
Vikas Gautam:
Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to share our story and vision.
