About
Vivek Nair previously worked as a technical leader in cybersecurity roles at the CIA and Department of Defense, and earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley with support from the NSF, National Physical Science Consortium, and Fannie and John Hertz Foundation fellowships.
Founder & CEO at MultifactorYC F25
Intro paths
YC
Vivek went through Y Combinator (Fall 2025) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Nicolas Dessaigne, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Multifactor's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Vivek can intro founders to Multifactor's investors below.
Experience
- Multifactor (YC F25)Founder & CEOcurrent2025 — present
- Central Intelligence AgencyCyber Researcher2023 — 2025
- Berkeley Center for Responsible Decentralized Intelligence (RDI)Computer Security Researcher2022 — 2023
- The Initiative for CryptoCurrencies & Contracts (IC3)Computer Security Researcher2021 — 2022
- United States Department of DefenseCyber Researcher2020 — 2021
- Solid Security: Security at ScaleAuthentication Researcher & Consultant2015 — 2020
- HolmuskSoftware Engineer2015
- VCNincSoftware Engineer2014 — 2015
Skills & more
Information Security8Web Applications9Software Development8Cybersecurity2Android Development2iOS Development2Web Development2Security1Start-ups1Cloud Computing1CSS3PHP6
+12 more
HTMLJavaScriptMySQLLinuxApacheJavaC++C (Programming Language)VerilogNode.jsReact.jsSQL- CompTIA CSCP — CompTIA
- CompTIA CLNP — CompTIA
- CompTIA CCAP — CompTIA
- CompTIA CSSS — CompTIA
- CompTIA Cloud+ — CompTIA
- CompTIA Linux+ — CompTIA
- CompTIA CSIE — CompTIA
- CompTIA CSAE — CompTIA
- CompTIA CNSP — CompTIA
- CompTIA CNVP — CompTIA
From Vivek's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Vivek Nair?
- Vivek Nair previously worked as a technical leader in cybersecurity roles at the CIA and Department of Defense, and earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley with support from the NSF, National Physical Science Consortium, and Fannie and John Hertz Foundation fellowships.
- Where does Vivek Nair work?
- Vivek Nair is Founder & CEO of Multifactor.
- What companies did Vivek Nair found?
- Vivek Nair founded Multifactor.
- Where did Vivek Nair go to school?
- Vivek Nair studied at University of California, Berkeley (Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Computer Science); University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Master's degree, Computer Science); University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Bachelor's degree, Computer Science).
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia8,773
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Sam AltmanPresidentFounded Tools for Humanity +3Jessica LivingstonCo-founderFounded Y CombinatorAlexis OhanianYC Summer 2005Founded RedditFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded Nudge +1Matt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded HotspotsTrae StephensYC Winter 2022Founded Pursuit +1
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University of California, Berkeley mafia538
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Steve WozniakBSFounded AppleTony XuB.S.Founded DoorDashAravind SrinivasDoctor of Philosophy - PhDFounded PerplexityAli GhodsiPost-docFounded DatabricksRyan PetersenBAFounded FlexportDavid FriedbergBAFounded Climate +2
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign mafia146
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Max LevchinBSFounded PayPal +1Luke NosekBSFounded PayPalAnsuman SatpathyPhilosophyFounded Santa Ana Bio +2DeVaris BrownB.S.Founded Super Heroic +2Harish AgarwalB.S.Founded Nori +2Amitt MahajanBSFounded Rare Bits +1
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Stanford Online High School mafia3
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Same school
Also attended University of California, Berkeley1,453
Byron DeeterPartner at Bessemer Venture PartnersSteve WozniakCo-founder of AppleTony XuCo-founder & CEO of DoorDashAravind SrinivasCo-founder & CEO of Perplexity AIAli GhodsiCo-founder & CEO of DatabricksRyan PetersenFounder & CEO of Flexport
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Also attended University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign421
Max LevchinCo-founder of PayPal; founder, chairman & CEO of Affirm; partner at SciFi VCLuke NosekCo-founder of PayPal; co-founder of GigafundSundeep PeechuGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesDeep NisharInvestment Team at General CatalystPrashant ShahPartner at Monta Vista CapitalNoorPartner at Clear Ventures
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Shared employers
Also worked at Central Intelligence Agency18
Juliane GallinaPartner at Lavrock VenturesCliff CoppersmithBoard Member at Maryland TEDCOAniqua BokhariLegal Counsel at Red Cell IncubationBrian CarbaughCo-Founder & CEO, Andesite; Senior Advisor, Cyber & National Security at Red Cell IncubationMarguerite BensonSenior Advisor at Audere CapitalLuis SpradleyPrincipal at Level Equity
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Also worked at United States Department of Defense75
Edi DanalacheSenior Associate at Scale Venture PartnersRichard ClarkeInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Tidal McCoyChairman at IronGate Capital AdvisorsForrest UnderwoodVenture Partner at IronGate Capital AdvisorsGlenn VogelVenture Partner at IronGate Capital AdvisorsDavid WhittakerVenture Partner at Elm Street Ventures
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