This week we’re taking you backstage at TechCrunch Disrupt. Becca Szkutak had the chance to talk with Dan Lorenc, the CEO and co-founder of cybersecurity startup Chainguard following their conversation on stage with prominent investors, The Chainsmokers. They discuss how the EDM duo's venture fund MANTIS went from being viewed skeptically by traditional VCs to becoming a highly sought-after investment partner in the B2B space, how Lorenc scaled the company in a difficult time for cybersecurity, and what value celebrity investors can add to a startup.

Check out the full onstage conversation here.

00:00 - Introduction

02:27 - Chainguard: Company Overview and Open Source Security 

05:27 - Google Background and Solar Winds Impact 

08:02 - Building Chain Guard: Product Evolution 

11:44 - Early Fundraising and Timing 

12:53 - The Legendary Alex Pall Cold Emails 

15:01 - MANTIS Investment Impact 

16:11 - Company Growth and Future Plans 

16:51 - Learning from Early Mistakes

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