By Peter Korpak · Reviewed against our methodology · Last updated
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Johanson Group is a specialist SOC 2 audit firm in Colorado Springs, CO, USA that charges $15K–$30K for Type II audits with 1–3 month timelines. Founded in 2014, they hold 6 accreditations and specialize in B2B SaaS, Startups (Pre-Series A through Series B), FinTech, and 2 more. Their pricing is below average compared to the specialist average of $18.491K–$52.655K.
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Note: Pricing shown is estimated based on typical engagements. Use our SOC 2 cost calculator for a personalized estimate.
of Specialist firms charge more for Type II
of Specialist firms have longer minimum timelines
certifications (tier avg: 4)
Side-by-side pricing, timeline, and certification counts for the 5 closest-priced peers in the specialist tier.
| Johanson Group | MJD Advisors | Tempo Audits | CyberSapiens Germany | Bulletproof | Sentry Assurance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type II Cost | $15K–$30K | $15K–$35K | $10K–$30K | $15K–$36K | $16K–$38K | $15K–$40K |
| Type I Cost | $10K–$18K | $8K–$20K | $8K–$20K | $10K–$20K | $10K–$20K | $10K–$25K |
| Timeline | 1–3 mo | 2–6 mo | 2–6 mo | 3–7 mo | 3–8 mo | 2–8 mo |
| Team Size | 12-20+ | 5–10 | 5–15 | 20–30 | 30–45 | 5–15 |
| Certifications | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Founded | 2014 | 2021 | 2022 | 2019 | 2017 | 2020 |
For buyers in B2B SaaS and Startups (Pre-Series A through Series B), Johanson Group fits the specialist profile when timeline (1–3 months) and Type II pricing ($15K–$30K) align with what specialist firms typically deliver. Their 6 active accreditations — including CPA Firm (Colorado), IAS-Accredited ISO 27001 Certification Body (MSCB-314), ISO/IEC 17021-1 + 27006-1:2024 — extend that fit beyond pure SOC 2 into adjacent compliance frameworks.
First-time SOC 2 buyers. Pre-Series A through Series B SaaS startups already running Drata, Vanta, Secureframe, or Rippling who want a fixed-fee, 4-to-6-week audit from an accredited CPA firm that also issues ISO 27001 certifications, HIPAA assessments, and PCI DSS reports under one roof. Founders who prioritize speed and price transparency over a brand-name auditor.
Boutique CPA firm with deep startup focus. Quoted 4-6 week turnaround on SOC 2 reports (top quartile for the market), fixed-fee engagements, flexible payment terms. IAS-accredited ISO 27001 certification body (MSCB-314, updated for ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024 in April 2026). Issues real ISO certificates rather than just attestations. Multi-framework one-stop shop: SOC 1/2/3, ISO 27001/27017/27018/27701, HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, NIST, BSI C5. One of the launch-cohort independent audit firms partnered with Rippling Automated Compliance (announced April 2026). Drata Alliance Member with Code of Ethics Pledge; uses Drata internally to run audits even when clients aren't on it. Distributed/global remote team across multiple time zones, English + Spanish.
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Johanson Group LLP is a boutique CPA firm founded in 2014 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. With a team of roughly 12-20 professionals distributed across time zones, the firm has built a focused practice around one thing: getting early-stage technology companies through compliance audits quickly, without the overhead of a large regional firm.
The firm serves in English and Spanish, operates virtually, and positions itself as a multi-framework one-stop shop: startups that need SOC 2 now and ISO 27001 in six months can run both through the same team. Named clients include Recon InfoSec, LendAPI, Upduo, Health Cost IQ, Scisco Genetics, and GroupM7. Johanson is an AICPA member firm enrolled in the Peer Review Program, a licensed Colorado CPA firm, and holds IAS accreditation as an ISO 27001 certification body (MSCB-314), which means it issues actual ISO certificates, not just advisory attestations. That combination is uncommon at this firm size.
The pitch Johanson Group makes to founders is simple: four to six weeks from kickoff to final report, fixed fee, and flexible payment terms if the timing is tight.
That 4-6 week turnaround is real. G2 reviewers confirm it: “Audits are conducted in a timely fashion and reports are delivered when promised.” Repeat clients come back partly because the firm hits its deadlines. The fixed-fee structure removes the billing uncertainty that makes founders nervous about hourly CPA engagements, and the payment flexibility matters for seed-stage teams where cash timing is a constraint.
Beyond speed, Johanson built its practice around startups that need more than one framework. A company needing SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 can run both through Johanson rather than hiring a second firm for certification. The same goes for SOC 2 combined with HIPAA or PCI DSS overlays. Shared evidence, one relationship, less coordination overhead.
Each engagement includes a dedicated auditor and a dedicated Customer Success Manager. There is also a transparency portal where clients can track progress at every step, which reduces the “what’s happening right now” anxiety that drags out most audit projects.
Johanson Group covers a wide range of frameworks for a firm its size:
SOC Reports: SOC 1 (Type 1 and Type 2), SOC 2 (Type 1 and Type 2), SOC 2+ (with HIPAA or PCI overlay), SOC 3.
ISO Certifications: ISO/IEC 27001, 27017 (cloud security), 27018 (cloud privacy), 27701 (privacy information management). As an IAS-accredited certification body, Johanson issues real ISO certificates under accreditation number MSCB-314, updated in April 2026 to reflect ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024.
Privacy and Security Assessments: HIPAA/HITECH, PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, NIST CSF, NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171.
International: BSI C5 (German cloud security standard), which is unusual for a firm of this size and relevant for companies with European customers or German enterprise deals.
Buyers should know upfront: Johanson Group does not cover FedRAMP, StateRAMP, CMMC, HITRUST, or FFIEC. If your compliance roadmap includes any of those frameworks, you will need a different firm or a second firm alongside Johanson.
Johanson Group is an IAS-accredited ISO 27001 Management System Certification Body (MSCB-314). This accreditation means the firm has been independently assessed to operate as a certification body under ISO/IEC 17021-1:2015 and, as of April 7, 2026, ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024.
In practice, this matters to buyers in two ways. First, when Johanson issues an ISO 27001 certificate, it carries IAS accreditation status, which is recognized internationally. Second, companies pursuing both SOC 2 and ISO 27001 can complete both under one auditor without bringing in a separate certification body. That saves time, reduces coordination, and keeps the evidence collection process from running on two parallel tracks.
For a firm with 12-20 employees to hold this accreditation is genuinely uncommon. Most firms at this scale either limit themselves to advisory work or partner with a separate certification body.
Johanson Group integrates with every major compliance automation platform used by startups:
Drata: Johanson is a Drata Audit Alliance Registered Member and has signed the Drata Code of Ethics Pledge. The firm uses Drata internally to run audits, even when a client is not on the platform, which means the team knows the system as a practitioner, not just a partner.
Vanta: G2 reviewers note seamless workflows running audits through Vanta, citing time and cost savings.
Secureframe: Full evidence collection partnership.
Rippling Automated Compliance: Johanson was named a launch partner when Rippling launched its Automated Compliance product in April 2026, part of the initial cohort of auditors in the program.
TrustCloud and Securicy: Also supported for teams outside the Drata/Vanta ecosystem.
Johanson does not have a proprietary GRC platform. The firm positions itself as an independent auditor that sits on top of whatever tool the client already uses, which reduces switching costs and avoids forcing a platform change as part of the audit engagement.
Ryan Johanson, MBA, CPA is the founding partner. He registered Johanson Group LLP in Colorado in 2014 and remains the named partner. In May 2026, Johanson hosted a webinar with Zip Security CEO Joshua Zweig on vCISO and audit workflows for startups.
Anthony Fulda is a partner leading the PCI DSS practice. He runs the firm’s PCI webinar series and is the primary point of contact for clients coming in for PCI-related work.
Ryan McBride is VP of Sales. McBride represented the firm at Web Summit Vancouver in May 2026, co-sponsoring an afterparty alongside Vanta, Kobalt.io, and Forward Security.
Supporting the team are Michael Sherwin (senior staff), Jean-Mark Andia (Senior Customer Success Manager), and Raahsaan Fox (Customer Success).
Johanson Group does not publish a price list, but third-party industry roundups consistently place them in the startup-friendly mid-range:
G2 reviewers cite affordable pricing as a reason for switching to Johanson. The firm is not the cheapest option in the market (Prescient Assurance and Insight Assurance are generally lower), but it occupies a strong price-to-speed-to-reputation position for first-time SOC 2 buyers who want a credentialed CPA firm without Big Four overhead.
Payment terms are flexible. For startups where cash timing matters, this is worth asking about in the first conversation.
Johanson Group’s stated turnaround is 4-6 weeks from audit kickoff to final report delivery. Client reviews confirm the firm hits this target consistently. This positions Johanson in the top tier for speed among CPA firms doing SOC 2 work, where a 3-4 month timeline is common and slippage is frequent. Companies with enterprise sales cycles that depend on delivering a SOC 2 report on a specific date will find Johanson’s track record useful.
“Johanson Group LLP made our SOC 2 Type II audit process seamless and efficient. Their expertise, professionalism, and clear communication helped us navigate compliance with ease.” — Upduo (via Drata Auditor Directory, September 2024)
“This was our fourth audit with Johanson Group LLP. Every time they have been very easy to work with. There has been clear communication on evidence requests and the auditors have been helpful with advice on providing alternate evidence when that requested isn’t available.” — Repeat client (via Drata Auditor Directory, June 2024)
“Thanks for sending over the final SOC 2 report. My team and I do appreciate all the help we received from the Johanson team from the very beginning.” — Health Cost IQ
Other public signals: Recon InfoSec publicly named Johanson Group as the auditor for their SOC 2 Type II report in 2024. LendAPI publicly announced selecting Johanson Group as their SOC 2 audit firm the same year.
The repeat-client review is particularly telling. A company going back for a fourth audit is not doing so because they had no other options.
Best fit for:
Not ideal for:
April 28, 2026: Johanson Group named a launch partner for Rippling Automated Compliance, part of the initial auditor cohort when Rippling launched the product.
April 7, 2026: IAS updated Johanson Group’s MSCB-314 accreditation to include ISO/IEC 27006-1:2024, reflecting the current version of the ISO 27001 certification body standard.
May 11-14, 2026: Ryan McBride represented the firm at Web Summit Vancouver, co-sponsoring a conference afterparty with Vanta, Kobalt.io, and Forward Security.
May 20, 2026: Ryan Johanson co-hosted a webinar on vCISO and audit workflows with Zip Security CEO Joshua Zweig.
February 2026: Published “Compliance for Seed-Stage Startups,” a guide targeting early-stage founders new to SOC 2.
January 2026: Anthony Fulda launched a PCI DSS content and webinar series, reinforcing the firm’s investment in PCI practice development.
Johanson Group LLP is a boutique that has found a real niche: startups that want a credentialed CPA firm, a fast timeline, ISO 27001 certification authority, and deep GRC platform integration, all without paying for size they don’t need. The 4-6 week turnaround is genuine, the IAS accreditation is verified, and the Drata Alliance membership reflects a real operational investment in the platform.
The firm is small. It does not have the bench depth of a regional Top 75 firm, and it does not cover government frameworks. For the buyer it is built for, those things are not drawbacks. Pre-Series A and Series B SaaS teams doing their first compliance program, on Drata or Vanta, needing SOC 2 and potentially ISO 27001 in the same engagement, at a price that fits a startup budget, Johanson Group is a strong option.
"Johanson Group LLP made our SOC 2 Type II audit process seamless and efficient. Their expertise, professionalism, and clear communication helped us navigate compliance with ease."
"This was our fourth audit with Johanson Group LLP. Every time they have been very easy to work with. There has been clear communication on evidence requests and the auditors have been helpful with advice on providing alternate evidence when that requested isn't available."
"Thanks for sending over the final SOC 2 report. My team and I do appreciate all the help we received from the Johanson team from the very beginning."
5 industries — Specialist average: 5
6 certifications — Specialist average: 4
Works inside whichever GRC platform the client uses (Drata is deepest integration)
Johanson Group SOC 2 Type I audits typically range from $10K to $18K. Type II audits range from $15K to $30K. This is below average for specialist firms — the specialist tier average is $18.491K–$52.655K. Final pricing depends on your organization's scope, number of trust service criteria, and system complexity.
A buyer-side checklist. Bring these to your first call — the answers separate firms that have run hundreds of SOC 2 engagements from firms that are bidding on them.
Tell us your scope. Johanson Group replies with a price, a timeline, and why they'd be a fit. Anonymous until you pick.
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