OpenAI Backs AI Cybersecurity Startup Adaptive With $43M
As generative AI tools grow more powerful, so do the tactics available to hackers and scammers. From deepfakes mimicking CEOs to AI-generated phishing emails and fake receipts, the landscape of digital threats is evolving fast — and OpenAI knows it.
In its first-ever cybersecurity investment, OpenAI’s startup fund has co-led a $43 million Series A round in Adaptive Security, a New York-based startup tackling this exact problem. The round was also backed by Andreessen Horowitz.
AI-Generated Threats Meet AI-Powered Defense
Adaptive Security’s mission is to help companies defend against modern social engineering attacks — the kind that trick real employees into doing something they shouldn’t, like clicking a malicious link or sharing a verification code.
What makes Adaptive different is how it trains companies. It simulates AI-powered threats using voice, text, and email. For example, an employee might get a phone call from what sounds like their CTO asking for a security code — but it's actually a spoof, crafted by Adaptive’s platform to test and train the employee.
“We simulate the hacks before the hackers do,” said co-founder and CEO Brian Long. “This is about preparing your team for what’s already out there — or coming next.”
The platform goes beyond spoofing. It analyzes where an organization is most vulnerable and helps reinforce those weak points. With over 100 customers already on board, Adaptive has quickly gained traction since launching in 2023.
The Founder Behind the Startup
Brian Long is no stranger to building tech companies. He previously founded TapCommerce, which he sold to Twitter in 2014 for a reported $100+ million, and Attentive, which reached a $10 billion valuation in 2021. That track record, combined with Adaptive’s early momentum, helped bring OpenAI to the table.
The new funding will go toward hiring top-tier engineers and expanding the product to stay ahead in what Long calls the AI “arms race.”
The Growing Market for AI Cyber Defense
Adaptive isn’t alone. Startups like Cyberhaven ($100M raised) are working to prevent employees from pasting sensitive data into tools like ChatGPT. Snyk is helping secure AI-generated code, and GetReal, which specializes in deepfake detection, just raised $17.5 million.
As threats grow more sophisticated, so does the urgency to act. For companies concerned about their voice data being cloned, Long has a simple first step: “Delete your voicemail.”
OpenAI’s investment in Adaptive signals a new era — not just of AI innovation, but of AI defense.
