Google Partner Tenex Raises $250 Million for AI Security Services
The funding round values the cybersecurity startup at more than $1 billion.
Tenex.ai, an artificial intelligence cybersecurity startup, has raised $250 million in funding at a more than $1 billion valuation, the latest sign of investor demand for companies that use AI to combat cyber attacks.
Crosspoint Capital led the financing, with participation from Shield Capital and DeepWork Capital, Tenex is set to announce on Tuesday. The Sarasota, Florida-based startup has previously raised capital from Andreessen Horowitz.
The new funding coincides with a flurry of activity in the market for firms that use AI to defend against malicious actors, including those who may seize on artificial intelligence to automate their own attacks. Earlier this month, OpenAI agreed to buy Promptfoo, a company that enables large businesses to find and fix security issues in AI models. OpenAI and Anthropic PBC have also unveiled AI agents meant to help security teams spot and patch vulnerabilities in large databases.
Tenex, made up of former chief information security officers and financial services professionals, is selling an AI-enabled managed detection and response service that finds, tracks and responds to security threats. The product uses AI automation and agents, blended with expertise and oversight from real people. The company has also partnered with the biggest cloud computing providers, including Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com Inc., to deliver those companies’ security products.