How Fern Embedded Enterprise-Grade Security to Accelerate Growth and Win Deals

Fern is transforming how engineering teams build and document APIs. Its platform enables companies to automatically generate type-safe SDKs in popular programming languages and create consistent, well-structured API documentation—without the overhead of manually writing code or maintaining custom documentation sites.

APIs are the backbone of modern software ecosystems, but they’re often poorly documented, inconsistently typed, and difficult for developers to integrate. Fern solves this by delivering production-ready SDKs and developer portals, allowing engineering teams to focus on building robust APIs while providing a seamless developer experience for their customers.

With customers ranging from early-stage startups like Vellum and Beehiiv to growth-stage leaders like Square, Webflow, and LaunchDarkly, Fern helps companies standardize their API strategy and accelerate third-party integrations. As Fern moved upmarket, security became critical to unlocking larger enterprise opportunities.

The Challenge: Eliminate Security Review Friction to Accelerate Sales

Founders Danny Sheridan and Deep Singhvi recognized that achieving SOC 2 Type II compliance was essential to closing deals with larger customers and avoiding lengthy security reviews during procurement.

With a lean team of 12 and ambitions to scale rapidly from over 100 customers to 1,000, Fern needed to implement a security program that would:

• Make security a one-time conversation during procurement, not an ongoing negotiation.
• Meet enterprise security expectations without diverting engineering resources from product development.
• Achieve SOC 2 Type II certification quickly to avoid blocking revenue opportunities.

The VioletX Approach: Creators of Vanta’s Quick Start Program and Leaders in Execution

Fern partnered with VioletX through the Vanta Quick Start program—a program designed and created by VioletX in 2023 to help high-growth startups achieve compliance faster and more efficiently. Following its creation, Vanta scaled the program across its customer base, and together, VioletX and Vanta have successfully completed hundreds of projects through this initiative, supporting thousands of companies to date.

VioletX provided the structure, resources, and execution-focused leadership required to keep Fern’s engineering team focused on growth while successfully navigating the complexity of SOC 2 compliance.

• End-to-End Project Management:
  VioletX developed a clear, prioritized SOC 2 readiness plan, managing hundreds of tasks and keeping the team focused and ahead of schedule.
• Tailored Policy and Control Development:
  VioletX provided audit-ready policy templates and worked closely with Fern to customize them for their technical environment—covering secure code practices, vendor management, employee onboarding, and incident response.
• Embedded Real-Time Support:
  Through a dedicated Slack channel, VioletX acted as a virtual CISO for Fern, offering immediate answers to compliance questions, reviewing evidence, and helping navigate every audit requirement in real time.
• Audit Coordination:
  VioletX worked directly with Fern’s chosen auditor, Advantage Partners, to manage the audit process, resolve open items quickly, and ensure the audit closed on schedule without findings.

The Outcome: SOC 2 Type II in 8 Weeks and 200 Hours Saved Annually

With VioletX’s leadership, Fern achieved SOC 2 Type II certification in just eight weeks, dramatically faster than typical timelines for startups pursuing their first certification.

Key outcomes included:

• 200 Hours Saved Annually:
  By streamlining compliance processes and eliminating repetitive security questionnaires, Fern freed up over 5 hours per week, allowing its team to focus on growth and product development.
• Faster Deal Cycles:
  SOC 2 Type II certification cleared procurement roadblocks and allowed Fern to move enterprise deals forward faster.
• Security Maturity Embedded in Operations:
  Fern implemented strong security controls across the organization, including formalized employee onboarding, mandatory MFA, background checks, and ongoing security awareness training.

“VioletX answered all our questions, set up a private Slack channel, and acted as our vCISO. Their guidance was critical to achieving a spotless SOC 2 Type II audit on our first attempt—and to keeping deals moving without delays.”
— Danny Sheridan, CEO and Co-founder, Fern

By investing in security early and partnering with the team that created and operationalized the Vanta Quick Start program, Fern turned compliance into a competitive advantage—unlocking enterprise growth while maintaining focus on product innovation.

Read more about Fern’s journey to SOC 2 with VioletX and Vanta on the Vanta Customer Story →