Adams Street is proud to announce that we led the $88 million Series C fundraise for Cyberhaven, a data security platform focused on data protection and threat detection for modern enterprises.
Market Opportunity Spurred by Macro Tailwinds
Intellectual property (IP) is a crucial asset for enterprises. However, the rigid, rule-based policies and permissions historically used to profile sensitive data and flag risky behavior are inefficient solutions that inevitably result in gaps in coverage and detection, rendering them ineffective in a modern corporate landscape where insiders are also vectors for data loss.
Enterprises are more vulnerable than ever to insider data loss risks. Generational shifts – including to remote and hybrid work, increases in job hopping and corporate espionage, and the rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms in the workplace – raise the likelihood of IP theft by insiders. Without confidence around data protection and ownership, enterprises could be less likely to invest in new IP, which ultimately could hinder innovation.
AI-Powered End-to-End Security
Cyberhaven’s Linea AI platform is a novel data security solution that seeks to safeguard enterprises’ IP with precision. Linea AI is built on Cyberhaven’s Large Lineage Model (LLiM), a proprietary AI model that leverages contextual insights to detect potential security threats. The LLiM creates a record of an enterprise’s data workflows, rather than isolated events, to form a model of what constitutes normal or abnormal data handling. This provides the “who, what, when, where, why” context of data movements, which Linea AI uses to identify and analyze the most subtle deviations in data handling.
The deployment of the LLiM means that Linea AI does not just monitor data handling, but understands it, a capability that legacy platforms are structurally unable to match. Linea AI’s understanding of the comprehensive contexts of data flows empowers it to surface anomalous behaviors that may be overlooked by conventional methods, while also limiting the number of false positives. When credible risks are detected, Linea AI is designed to intelligently prioritize them based on their potential business impact, allowing security teams to focus on the most critical threats. With Linea AI, enterprises can benefit from a more proactive and informed security posture, ensuring that sensitive information is robustly protected against both internal and external threats.
Deep Cybersecurity Expertise
Cyberhaven was founded by five PhDs who received funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), a US Department of Defense unit focused on developing technologies for national security deployment. Today, the co-founders’ technical prowess is augmented by a cohort of seasoned leaders distinguished by deep industry and segment expertise, a prerequisite for successful execution in the cybersecurity space. Chief Executive Officer Howard Ting joined Cyberhaven in 2021 after nearly a decade in leadership roles at best-in-class companies including Zscaler, Redis Labs and Palo Alto Networks. Ting recruited a senior executive team of tenured cybersecurity and enterprise software veterans, as well as distinguished AI and machine learning professionals, to continue Cyberhaven’s rapid growth.
Adams Street is excited to partner with Cyberhaven as it continues to execute towards its vision of safeguarding innovation. Congratulations to the Cyberhaven team on the many major milestones they’ve achieved this quarter, including the launch of Linea AI and the Series C fundraise.
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