Artificial intelligence cybersecurity company Adaptive Security announced Wednesday that it closed a $43 million funding round in March, co-led by OpenAI and Andreessen Horowitz.
The investment marks OpenAI’s first outside backing of a cybersecurity firm.
Adaptive Security simulates AI-powered attacks against companies, specializing in training for deepfake attacks and other phishing threats.
“The technology is getting better and better every day,” CEO Brian Long said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” “It’s not just voice and likeness, it’s trained in all of the opensource information out there about you.”
The company uses data and AI learning to simulate attacks that go beyond just imitating an individual’s voice – like most modern sophisticated phishing attacks, the technology uses details about someone’s family, background, personality and more.
AI-powered attacks have been rising over even the past year, Long said, as AI continues to get more sophisticated and the line between real and deepfake blurs more.
“The rise of AI-powered social engineering represents one of the most urgent cybersecurity threats of our time,” Long said in a statement.
The recent funding round also included participation from Abstract Ventures, Eniac Ventures, CrossBeam Ventures, and K5, along with executives from Google, Workday, Shopify, Plaid and more.
“AI is reshaping the cybersecurity threat landscape faster than most organizations can respond,” said Ian Hathaway, a partner at the OpenAI Startup Fund, in the release. “Adaptive is building exactly what the industry needs — an AI-native defense platform that evolves as fast as the attackers.”
The company said the funding round will accelerate their engineering solutions to better defend companies and employees against attacks. Their customers include the Dallas Mavericks, First State Bank, BMC and more.
