Kai Raises $125 Million to Launch Agentic AI Cybersecurity Platform Built for Machine-Speed Defense

A new cybersecurity startup is betting that the next phase of digital defense will be driven by autonomous AI systems rather than human analysts managing endless security alerts.

San Jose based startup Kai announced it has raised $125 million in funding and is emerging from stealth with an agentic AI platform designed to operate cybersecurity defenses at machine speed. The round was led by Evolution Equity Partners with participation from N47 and other strategic investors.

The company says its platform is designed to autonomously reason about threats, take action across security environments, and adapt continuously as attackers evolve their tactics. According to Kai, the platform replaces fragmented security tools with a unified system of intelligent agents capable of executing security operations across threat intelligence, exposure management, detection, and response.

“Cybersecurity is quickly becoming a contest between AI systems. The decisive factor is which side has richer data and can act at machine speed with human expert accuracy,” said Galina Antova, co-founder and CEO of Kai. “We’ve created a unified, agentic cybersecurity platform from the ground up. Kai replaces fragmentation with intelligent, autonomous agents that execute security work end-to-end: across multiple use cases, and we’re just getting started."

The company says the idea emerged from a growing gap between the speed of modern cyberattacks and the manual processes most security teams still rely on. Enterprises often manage dozens of specialized security tools, each generating alerts that require human analysis and response. That complexity can slow detection and create operational blind spots.

Kai’s platform attempts to solve that problem by allowing AI agents to coordinate defensive actions automatically across systems.

“AI has ushered in a new era for cybersecurity, disrupting traditional defense while enabling new, automated attacks humans alone can’t match,” said Richard Seewald, Founder and Managing Partner at Evolution Equity Partners. “Kai’s approach was designed to close that gap by letting agentic AI prioritize action and execute response. That shift is why we backed Kai, and why enterprises are moving quickly to adopt it.”

Kai’s founders previously built companies focused on securing operational technology environments such as industrial systems and critical infrastructure. Antova co-founded industrial cybersecurity company Claroty, while CTO Dr. Damiano Bolzoni previously co-founded SecurityMatters, which was acquired by Forescout.

“Attackers don't think in categories,” said Dr. Bolzoni. “Defense shouldn't either. Kai allows enterprises to eliminate silos, transform entire security functions, and reduce risk faster than was ever possible with human-led workflows.”

Despite emerging from stealth only now, Kai says the platform has already secured several enterprise customers across industries including energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and hospitality. The company says the new funding will accelerate AI research and expand global go-to-market efforts as demand for autonomous cybersecurity platforms grows.