SOC 2 Compliance for SaaS Startups
Tailored for SaaS and your role.
Head of Compliance Strategy • CPA, CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor
Strategic Priorities for SaaS Leaders
Raphael N
Head of Compliance Strategy
Raphael leads go-to-market compliance strategy for high-growth SaaS and AI teams. With over a decade of experience across Big Four firms and fintech startups, he specializes in translating complex SOC 2 requirements into automated, engineering-friendly workflows.
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Audit readiness checklist
- •Define scope and evidence owners for SOC 2 Compliance
- •Map controls to your SaaS workflows
- •Confirm evidence cadence and review approvals
- •Document exceptions and compensating controls
- •Validate auditor expectations before kickoff
Evidence to prepare
- •Access reviews
- •Change management approvals
- •Incident response logs
- •Vendor risk assessments
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does SOC 2 certification take for a SaaS company?
Most SaaS companies can achieve SOC 2 Type I in 3-6 months, with Type II requiring an additional 6-12 month observation period. Timeline depends on existing security maturity and resource allocation.
What Trust Services Criteria are most important for SaaS?
Security is mandatory. Most SaaS companies also include Availability and Confidentiality. Processing Integrity and Privacy are added based on data handling and customer requirements.
Can we use our existing cloud provider's SOC 2 report?
Your cloud provider's SOC 2 (e.g., AWS, Azure) covers their infrastructure controls. You still need your own SOC 2 covering application-level controls, access management, and operational procedures.
About RiscLens
Our mission is to provide transparency and clarity to early-stage technology companies navigating the complexities of SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) compliance.
Who we serve
Built specifically for early-stage and growing technology companies—SaaS, fintech, and healthcare tech—preparing for their first SOC 2 audit or responding to enterprise customer requirements.
What we provide
Clarity before commitment. We help teams understand realistic cost ranges, timeline expectations, and common gaps before they engage auditors or expensive compliance vendors.
Our Boundaries
We do not provide legal advice, audit services, or certifications. Our assessments support internal planning—they are not a substitute for professional compliance guidance.
SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2) is a voluntary compliance standard for service organizations, developed by the AICPA, which specifies how organizations should manage customer data based on the Trust Services Criteria: security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy.
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