# Stairwell

> Stairwell is an enterprise cybersecurity software company that collects executable files into a private repository, continuously reanalyzes them as intelligence changes, and helps security teams investigate malware and related variants. Founded by Mike Wiacek in 2019, it pairs file-based threat hunting with AI analysis and integrations into existing security workflows.

- **Founded:** 2019
- **Headquarters:** Sunnyvale, United States
- **Founders:** Mike Wiacek (Founder and CTO; formerly CEO)
- **Products:** Inception, Private Vault, Variant Discovery, Stairwell Intelligent Analysis / AI Triage, Threat Report Analysis
- **Notable:** USD 69.5 million in cumulative disclosed funding through October 2022., Named to Fast Company’s 2023 Most Innovative Companies list., FOX Corporation documented retrospective hunts and integration into ticketing workflows.

## Products & services

- **Inception** — Historical flagship platform introduced in 2021 for recursive threat hunting, detection and response using enterprise file data.
- **Private Vault** — Private enterprise file repository that preserves collected files for continuous analysis and retrospective hunting.
- **Variant Discovery** — Finds related file variants beyond exact hash matches to expand investigations.
- **Stairwell Intelligent Analysis / AI Triage** — Static, AI-assisted file analysis that explains capabilities, likelihood of maliciousness, confidence, indicators and recommended analyst actions without executing the file.
- **Threat Report Analysis** — Extracts indicators from published threat intelligence and checks them against enterprise evidence.
- **Run-to-Ground** — Automates forensic investigation and connects suspicious files with affected enterprise assets.
- **Backstory** — Current website presents an AI investigator combining evidence collection, independent detection, campaign investigation, response recommendations and continuous reevaluation; exact launch date unverified.

## Achievements

- USD 69.5 million in cumulative disclosed funding through October 2022.
- Named to Fast Company’s 2023 Most Innovative Companies list.
- FOX Corporation documented retrospective hunts and integration into ticketing workflows.
- 2026 Hidden Malware Report examined 1,085 public reports and 19,418 published malware hashes; Stairwell reports a 2.4x detection expansion using Variant Discovery, a vendor study rather than a universal benchmark.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Published research tracing ClickFix to SilentEncryptor ransomware deployment on September 2.
- **2026-06** — 2026 Hidden Malware Report dataset extends through June 2026; report publication month is unverified.
- **2026-05** — Published a technical explanation of YARA at scale on May 12.
- **2026-04** — Published AI Triage deep dive on April 24.
- **2025-10** — Announced general availability of Google Security Operations integration on October 16.
- **2025-07** — Appointed Emmy Linder CEO; Mike Wiacek became Founder and CTO.
- **2025-05** — Announced Stairwell Intelligent Analysis on May 20.

## Links

- Website: https://stairwell.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stairwell-security/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/InsideStairwell
- GitHub: https://github.com/stairwell-inc
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StairwellSecurity
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/InsideStairwell/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/stairwell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-01