TL;DR
Depthfirst, an AI-focused cybersecurity startup founded in October 2024, raised $40 million in a Series A round led by Accel. The company offers an AI-native suite for scanning codebases, detecting credential exposures, and monitoring third-party components and plans to expand its research, engineering, product and sales teams.
What happened
Depthfirst, a security startup founded in October 2024, announced a $40 million Series A financing round led by Accel, with participation from SV Angel, Mantis VC and Alt Capital. The company markets an AI-native product called General Security Intelligence that it says helps organizations scan and analyze codebases and workflows for security issues, detect credential leaks and watch for threats in open-source and third-party components. Leadership includes co-founder and CEO Qasim Mithani, formerly of Databricks and Amazon, co-founder Daniele Perito, who previously led security and risk engineering at Square, and CTO Andrea Michi, formerly an engineer at Google DeepMind. Depthfirst said it will use the new funding to grow teams focused on applied research, engineering, product and sales. The startup also reported partnerships with customers including AngelList, Lovable and Moveworks and framed its product as a response to an escalation in AI-augmented cyberattacks.
Why it matters
- AI is being adopted by both attackers and defenders; tools that bake AI into security workflows could change how organizations detect and respond to threats.
- A sizable Series A led by a major investor like Accel signals investor interest in startups that specialize in AI-native security products.
- Automating codebase and dependency scanning addresses a broad industry challenge as software development velocity rises faster than some organizations’ security practices.
- Partnerships with recognizable customers suggest early commercial traction for AI-focused security tooling.
Key facts
- Funding: $40 million Series A round announced on Jan. 14, 2026.
- Lead investor: Accel Partners; participation from SV Angel, Mantis VC and Alt Capital.
- Founding date: October 2024.
- Product: General Security Intelligence — an AI-native suite for scanning codebases and workflows, detecting credential exposure, and monitoring open-source/third-party components.
- Use of proceeds: hiring for applied research, engineering, product and sales.
- Leadership: CEO Qasim Mithani (previously at Databricks and Amazon); co-founder Daniele Perito (ex-Square); CTO Andrea Michi (ex-Google DeepMind).
- Named customers/partners include AngelList, Lovable and Moveworks.
- Context: company frames its work as a response to the rise of AI-enabled attacks; report cites an example where Anthropic said it had thwarted an AI-orchestrated espionage campaign.
What to watch next
- Whether Depthfirst’s platform demonstrably reduces breaches or false positives for customers — not confirmed in the source
- How quickly the company expands its applied research and engineering teams and what hires it makes next — not confirmed in the source
- Customer growth beyond the named partners and how the product is adopted across different industries — not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Series A: An early venture funding round that typically helps a startup scale product development, go-to-market efforts, and hiring after initial seed financing.
- AI-native: Software or platforms designed from the ground up to use artificial intelligence as a core component of their functionality and workflows.
- Codebase: The collection of source code for a particular software project or application, including all files and dependencies.
- Credential exposure: The accidental or malicious disclosure of login credentials, API keys, tokens or other secrets that can grant unauthorized access.
- Open-source component: A software library or module with publicly available source code that developers can use and integrate into their own applications.
Reader FAQ
How much did Depthfirst raise and who led the round?
Depthfirst raised $40 million in a Series A led by Accel, with participation from SV Angel, Mantis VC and Alt Capital.
What does Depthfirst’s product do?
The company’s General Security Intelligence suite is described as an AI-native platform for scanning codebases and workflows, protecting against credential exposures and monitoring third-party and open-source components.
When was Depthfirst founded?
Depthfirst was founded in October 2024.
How will the new funding be used?
Depthfirst said it will invest the capital in hiring for applied research, engineering, product and sales.
Is the company profitable or what are its financials?
not confirmed in the source
Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI in their attacks. At the same time, cyber defenders are also turning to the technology to fight back. Depthfirst, a security startup positioning itself at…
Sources
- AI security firm, depthfirst, announces $40 million series A
- depthfirst Announces $40M To Advance AI Security Platform
- depthfirst Announces $40M Series A to Secure the World's …
- Funding Breaking News and Press Releases …
Related posts
- Microsoft May Have Leaked Forza Horizon 6 Release Date via FH5
- Animal Crossing’s 3.0 update reignites player interest in cozy island life
- Tesla to offer Full Self-Driving (Supervised) only via subscription