Manifest Announces Leadership Transition to Accelerate Next Phase of Growth

Co-founder and CTO Daniel Bardenstein named CEO; co-founder and founding CEO Marc Frankel to remain on board and transition to strategic advisor

WASHINGTON, Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Manifest, a leader in software and AI supply chain security, announced today that co-founder Marc Frankel will step down as chief executive and co-founder and CTO Daniel Bardenstein will take over as CEO on Nov. 1, 2025.

Frankel, who served as Manifest's founding CEO since the company's start in 2022, will remain on the board of directors, and transition to a strategic advisor role. In this capacity, he will continue to support the growth of Manifest by advancing strategic partnerships, government engagement, and key enterprise initiatives.

Frankel and Bardenstein, who founded Manifest in the wake of the Log4Shell vulnerability to make software more transparent, will continue their professional collaboration and friendship of more than a decade in these new roles. This leadership evolution reflects an amicable and collaborative transition that strengthens the long-term vision for Manifest, reinforces the company as a trusted innovator in the cybersecurity and AI risk space, and positions the organization for its next phase of scale and accelerated growth.

Bardenstein has spent his career building innovative enterprise cybersecurity products and leading large-scale cyber programs across private sector and government, and brings a unique blend of technical leadership, product development, and business acumen to the CEO role. His prior experience includes launching several AI-enabled cybersecurity products at successful Silicon Valley startups, including Palantir and Exabeam, serving as cybersecurity lead for Operation Warp Speed and director of Hack the Pentagon, and most recently as chief of technology strategy and delivery at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). This breadth and depth of experiences have given him a profound understanding of the security challenges facing both government and enterprise organizations, and how to bring new products to market.

From the founding through Series A and into the company's next stage of growth, Bardenstein has driven innovation and market adoption at Manifest. He led the creation of the Manifest Platform, enabling early adoption across the defense industrial base, healthcare, automotive, and financial services sectors.

Most recently, he conceived of and launched Manifest AI Risk, pioneering the emerging field of AI supply chain security.  Announced at the 2025 Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas, the product is already used by major companies around the world to secure and manage AI models and datasets.

Manifest has seen significant growth in 2025, doubling its team, expanding into new markets, and achieving strong revenue momentum.

Daniel Bardenstein, CEO and co-founder of Manifest, said: "I'm honored to lead Manifest into its next phase of growth and scale. Our mission has always been to make technology more transparent and secure. With our latest innovations — including our new AI Risk product, recent FedRAMP High Authorization and IL5 certifications, and growing ecosystem of partners — Manifest is well-positioned to define the standard for software supply chain and AI security. I'm excited to build on the strong foundation Marc has laid for the company and continue helping our customers build and buy more secure software and AI."

Marc Frankel, co-founder, strategic advisor and board member, Manifest, said: "Manifest is entering an exciting new chapter. As a co-founder and technical leader, Daniel has played a central role in building our platform, driving product innovation, and bringing the Manifest mission to life. His deep technical and operational expertise makes him the right person to lead Manifest through its next stage of growth."

Conrad Shang, partner at Ensemble Capital and Manifest board member, said: "It's rare to see a team combine true technical excellence with such strong market pull. Daniel's leadership, supported by Marc's continued involvement, ensures continuity and confidence for customers, partners, and investors as the company scales."

About Manifest
Manifest is the platform for securing the AI and software supply chain. By combining exploitability-aware vulnerability management, supplier risk intelligence, and AI governance, Manifest enables organizations to identify, prioritize, and remediate risk across every layer of their technology stack. Leading enterprises and government organizations rely on Manifest to ensure their software and AI systems remain secure, compliant, and trustworthy.

For more information, visit manifestcyber.com or follow Manifest on LinkedIn.

Media Contact
Shannon Van Every
Force4 Technology Communications
[email protected]

SOURCE Manifest