AIR secures $50m to secure AI agent ecosystem

AIR, an AI security startup, raised $50 million in two seed rounds to secure AI agent ecosystems. Founded by Yair Saban and Niv Hoffman, veterans of Israel’s Unit 8200, AIR offers a platform to discover, vet, and block AI agents’ interactions. Sequoia led the first $10 million round, while Greenoaks led the second $40 million round. AIR’s platform includes a marketplace of vetted add-ons and a whitelist system, filtering out 27% of online add-ons. The startup has over 20 customers, including a quarter of large enterprises, with strong demand in financial and pharmaceutical sectors. Competitors like Noma Security and Zenity, which recently raised $125 million, are also active. AIR plans to hire researchers and expand its go-to-market efforts in the U.S. and Europe. Saban emphasized the need for continuous vetting, comparing AI tools to drivers requiring digital signatures. Sequoia partner Bogomil Balkansky called the infrastructure challenge a key differentiator. AIR currently has around 40 employees and aims to strengthen its position in the AI security market as companies increasingly rely on AI agents.