Four ways seed and Series A startups in AI and cybersecurity get marketing done (first hire, agency, fractional CMO or embedded CMO), compared fairly, with when each one is the right call.
MktAccel is an embedded CMO practice. Below, we say where each of the other three is the better choice.
Karine Regev founded MktAccel after in-house marketing roles at Aqua Security, Alcide (acquired by Rapid7) and BioCatch, VP Marketing at Datagen, and freelance regional marketing for Vultr. Three companies she marketed were named Gartner Cool Vendors: BioCatch, Alcide and Datagen.
She has built marketing in-house, hired agencies and been hired as one, so she has sat on every side of this decision. MktAccel works with AI and cyber companies across Tel Aviv, Paris and the US, including Backslash Security and HexaFort.
| First full-time hire | Agency | Fractional CMO | Embedded CMO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best when | Message and one channel are proven | Strategy is set, you need execution in one channel | You need direction and have a team to execute | You need strategy and execution, no team yet |
| Owns strategy | The hire, once ramped | You | The CMO | The CMO |
| Does the work | One person, usually strong in one function | The agency team | Your team or vendors | The CMO plus a small execution layer |
| Speed to first output | Slowest: recruiting plus ramp-up | Fast, once briefed | Fast | Fast |
| Commitment | Salary and equity, hard to unwind | Retainer or project | Part-time retainer | Retainer, typically 12–18 months |
| Main risk | Wrong profile for the stage | Polished output on an unclear message | Plans with nobody to run them | Depends on one senior person |
One person, fully focused on your company, who builds context nobody outside can match.
Full attention. Equity aligns them with the outcome. Lowest cost per hour once ramped. The knowledge stays in the company.
One person rarely covers positioning, content, demand generation and events equally well. Startup-ready cyber marketers are scarce, and a wrong hire costs months.
Companies past seed with a message that works and one channel worth scaling. Also the right next step after an embedded or fractional engagement.
A team of specialists you brief on a defined scope.
Several skills at once. Fast start. Easy to scale up or down. Specialist cyber PR and content agencies know the press and the analysts.
Output is only as good as the brief. Most agencies deliver the scope, not the business outcome, and day-to-day work often sits with junior staff.
Companies with an internal marketing lead who can brief and manage the agency, and a clear channel to fill.
A senior marketing leader for a few days a month.
Senior judgment at part-time cost. Sets the plan, hires and manages vendors. A good bridge to a full-time VP Marketing.
The title is used loosely, so check what they have actually run. Strategy with no one to execute it stalls.
Companies that already have a marketer, an agency or both, but no one setting direction.
A senior marketer who works inside your company, sets the strategy and ships it, with a small execution team behind them. This is how MktAccel works.
One person owns the story from messaging to launch, website, sales materials and investor narrative. They sit in your Slack and your sales calls, and start in weeks.
Not a permanent team. You are buying one person's judgment, so fit matters. It costs more per month than a junior hire. When you need a full team at scale, hire it; we help recruit and hand over.
Seed to Series A AI and cyber companies coming out of stealth, preparing a raise or closing their first enterprise deals, where a founder is still the de facto marketer.
Yes. A common order is an embedded CMO to settle the message and launch, then a first full-time hire to run it, then an agency for one channel such as PR or paid.
No. A fractional CMO sets direction for a team you already have. An embedded CMO also does the work, with a small execution layer.
Typically 12 to 18 months. Most end with a full-time hire taking over.
Yes. Often the engagement is what makes that hire succeed: they inherit a settled message and a working plan.
In positioning, yes: it shapes which customers you win. In paid channels, usually not yet.
Yes. MktAccel works with companies in Tel Aviv, Paris and the US.
Fee on request. Each engagement is scoped and priced to the work.
Book 30 minutes. You'll leave with an answer, even if the answer is a full-time hire.