Ent raises $100M seed to build intent-aware AI security
What's the deal? Ent, a San Francisco-based cybersecurity startup founded by former Microsoft executives Elias ManousosDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → and Brandon DixonDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → — who helped build Microsoft's Security Copilot — has raised $100M in seed funding. The company is developing what it calls "intent-aware" security technology designed to detect and neutralise AI-driven threats before they cause damage in enterprise environments.
The round was led by Decibel, with participation from Sequoia, Crosspoint Capital PartnersDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Craft Ventures, Shield CapitalDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, Felicis, and In-Q-Tel. It is one of the largest seed deals on record, reflecting intense investor appetite for startups tackling AI security risks.
Why now? As enterprises rapidly adopt AI agents and large language models into core workflows, the attack surface has expanded dramatically. Traditional security tools were built for a world of human users and static software — not autonomous AI systems that can act unpredictably or be manipulated by adversaries.
The founders' experience building Microsoft's Security Copilot gives them front-row insight into where existing AI security falls short. Their bet is that enterprises need a fundamentally new approach — one that understands the intent behind AI actions, not just the actions themselves. Ent's platform runs as a lightweight agent on Windows, macOS and Linux plus a browser extension, and says it is already deployed with Global 2000 customers across hospitality, financial services and defence.
What could go wrong? A $100M seed is an enormous amount of capital to deploy before proving product-market fit. The AI security space is crowding fast, with both incumbents and well-funded startups racing to define the category. Ent will need to move quickly to ship a product that justifies the valuation and fend off competitors with deeper enterprise relationships.
There's also the question of whether "intent-aware" security can work reliably in practice. Inferring intent from AI behaviour is a technically ambitious goal, and false positives could erode trust with enterprise buyers.
The signal: This deal underscores a broader market conviction that AI-native enterprises will need AI-native security — and that the opportunity is large enough to warrant nine-figure bets at the earliest stage. Just as cloud adoption spawned companies like CrowdStrike and Zscaler, the shift to AI-first infrastructure is creating openings for a new generation of security players.
Read more: Tech Funding News · FinSMEs
