OpenAI has made its first-ever investment in a cybersecurity startup, backing Adaptive Security, a company focused on combating AI-driven cyber threats. The New York-based startup raised $43 million in a Series A funding round co-led by OpenAI’s startup fund and Andreessen Horowitz.
This move demonstrates OpenAI’s recognition of the growing risks posed by generative AI, which has enabled cybercriminals to create deepfakes, forge documents, and execute advanced social engineering attacks.
Adaptive Security specializes in simulating AI-generated cyberattacks to train employees in identifying and preventing them. Its platform can mimic deceptive voice calls, emails, and text messages, tricking employees into responding to fake requests from executives or security personnel. The technology also analyzes vulnerabilities within organizations, helping businesses strengthen their defenses against AI-powered social engineering tactics.
The startup’s focus on human-targeted attacks is timely, as AI-driven cyber threats have become increasingly sophisticated. Social engineering hacks, such as those leading to the $600 million breach of Axie Infinity in 2022, have demonstrated how bad actors exploit human error. Adaptive Security’s CEO, Brian Long, highlighted how AI tools have made such attacks more effective, driving the need for continuous cybersecurity innovation.
Long, a seasoned entrepreneur with previous successes in TapCommerce and Attentive, noted that Adaptive Security will use its funding to expand its engineering team and enhance its security solutions. The company joins a growing field of cybersecurity startups addressing AI risks, including Cyberhaven and deepfake detection firm GetReal. As the threat landscape evolves, Long advises businesses to take proactive measures, such as deleting voicemails, to reduce the risk of AI-enabled fraud.