Horizon3.ai, a cybersecurity startup founded in 2019, is making headlines after raising nearly a major funding milestone in its latest round, led by the top venture capital firm NEA. While the exact funding amount and company valuation remain undisclosed, reports indicate at least a substantial sum was secured, signaling robust investor confidence as the company continues to grow its Artificial Intelligence-powered autonomous penetration testing solutions.
The company’s technology leverages artificial intelligence to automate penetration testing, empowering organizations to proactively identify and fix security vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. In recent months, Horizon3.ai has achieved significant business milestones, including 101% year-over-year revenue growth and surpassing 150% of its Q4 sales pipeline target. Although specific revenue figures were not shared, sources suggest annual recurring revenue is strong and scaling rapidly. The demand for advanced security tools is driving this momentum, as companies across industries face escalating cyber threats with Artificial Intelligence as both an enabler for protection and an attack vector.
Horizon3.ai’s strategic growth is also marked by its increasing footprint in the public sector. Earlier this month, the company gained FedRAMP authorization, which allows Horizon3.ai to provide its cybersecurity services to U.S. government agencies—a crucial credential for public sector contracts. The company’s previous funding, including a Series C round led by Craft Ventures in August 2023, supported research and development as well as market expansion, bringing total funding to a record level at that time. Leadership from CEO and co-founder Snehal Antani, a former Splunk CTO and U.S. military cyber operations expert, underscores the company’s expertise and commitment to a security-forward approach.
Horizon3.ai’s flagship product, NodeZero, stands out for running fully automated and repeatable penetration tests, simulating real-world cyberattacks without the need for extensive internal staffing or external consultants. The company works closely with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), and over 80% of its customer base now operates through this partner channel, underscoring the importance of its ecosystem. Horizon3.ai has completed over 100,000 autonomous penetration tests for thousands of clients and has been recognized with industry awards and repeated placement on the Fortune Cyber 60 list. With fresh capital, the company is poised to accelerate innovation, scale its engineering teams, and deepen its presence in both commercial and government sectors, establishing itself as a leader in the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity.
