Straiker, a pioneering AI-native cybersecurity company, has officially launched with $21 million in seed funding from Lightspeed Venture Partners and Bain Capital Ventures. With the rapid expansion of AI applications across industries, Straiker brings a timely solution to a growing concern: securing the next generation of intelligent systems.
Tackling AI Threats at Every Layer
As more enterprises adopt not just chatbots but fully autonomous AI agents, the associated risks have scaled dramatically. These include prompt injection, data exfiltration, supply chain vulnerabilities, and potential AI-enabled chaos. Straiker’s comprehensive platform is designed to proactively block such threats in real time, helping organizations deploy AI with confidence and resilience.
Introducing Ascend AI & Defend AI
Straiker’s debut includes the launch of two groundbreaking modules:
- Ascend AI: Simulates complex attacks using AI-specific threat models to uncover vulnerabilities through one-time assessments or continuous testing.
- Defend AI: Goes beyond prompt-level protection to secure every layer of AI apps and agents, providing automated threat blocking based on Ascend AI’s findings.
Both tools are powered by the Straiker AI Engine, which leverages a network of fine-tuned micro-models to analyze intelligence from every layer of the AI stack—user, model, application, agent, identity, and data. This enables low-latency, high-accuracy threat detection while preserving privacy.
Real-Time AI Security, Backed by Experts
Straiker’s approach combines advanced automation with expert insights. The company’s STAR team (Security, Threat Analysis, and Research) continuously investigates evolving risks, including vulnerabilities in large language models and autonomous agents, ensuring clients receive the latest protections.
Industry Validation and Customer Endorsements
Early adopters are already seeing significant benefits:
- “Straiker identified and resolved key AI-native risks in our platform.” – Aman Sirohi, CISO, People AI
- “Their Ascend AI tool eliminated blind spots in our B2B AI application.” – Ken Ricketts, CISO, Coupa
- “We launched our consumer AI app with confidence thanks to Straiker’s real-time protection.” – CISO, Fintech firm
- “Straiker provided a full-spectrum security audit for our AI-driven customer experience.” – Dan Garcia, CISO, Enterprise DB
Investors also voiced strong support. Arif Janmohammed of Lightspeed Ventures called Straiker’s approach the “next frontier in cyber,” while Bain Capital Ventures’ Enrique Salem noted the company is poised to disrupt the entire cybersecurity space.
Future Roadmap: Full Lifecycle Protection
Looking ahead, Straiker plans to roll out additional modules to secure every phase of the AI development lifecycle, including third-party integrations. As AI adoption grows, so does the need for robust, AI-native security infrastructure. Straiker is positioning itself to become the trusted guardian of this new digital frontier.
In a world where AI agents are reshaping how businesses operate, Straiker’s mission aligns with broader advancements in intelligent technology. Nvidia and Google’s recent alliance to enhance agentic and physical AI further underscores the urgency of securing these systems from the ground up.
