Averlon, a Seattle-area startup, recently secured $8 million in funding to help overwhelmed security teams identify high priority security flaws using artificial intelligence. Co-founders Sunil Gottumukkala and Vishal Agarwal, former engineering leaders at Salesforce, are addressing the problem of security teams being inundated with alerts from software products designed to identify vulnerabilities. Averlon utilizes predictive and generative AI to assess a company’s security vulnerabilities and predict how a bad actor might breach their systems. The goal is to pinpoint threats and assist in eliminating them, offering a unique approach that sets them apart from existing security products on the market.
Gottumukkala, with previous experience as a senior vice president in cybersecurity at Salesforce and 16 years at Microsoft, is optimistic about the potential of generative AI in enhancing cybersecurity defense capabilities. Averlon, founded two years ago and currently working with early partners who are transitioning into paying customers, has a total funding of $10.5 million and a 12-person team. The platform allows enterprises to understand how attackers view their systems, prioritize potential threats, predict attacks, and mitigate risks effectively. The aim is to provide CISOs and their teams with unparalleled ability to defend against cyber threats by mapping out vulnerabilities within their environment.
Additionally, the rise of AI and generative AI technologies in the cybersecurity space is of dual concern as both security experts and hackers are leveraging new capabilities. Gottumukkala, however, remains positive about the potential of generative AI to enhance defense mechanisms. He believes that while generative AI capabilities will be widely accessible, defenders have the advantage of possessing context and specific data relevant to their environments. Averlon’s innovative approach to using AI to proactively identify and mitigate security threats is positioned as a game-changer in the industry.
In a statement, Voyager Capital Partner Austin Guyette commended Averlon for providing a powerful platform that enables enterprises to understand how attackers could compromise their environment. By offering insights into the attacker’s perspective, Averlon allows CISOs and their teams to prioritize potential threats, predict attacks, and take proactive measures to mitigate risks. Other Seattle-area cybersecurity startups, such as Dropzone AI, Oleria, and StepSecurity, have also recently secured funding, reflecting the increased investment interest in this sector. In the first quarter of the year, cybersecurity startups raised nearly $2.7 billion in funding across 154 deals, indicating a growing focus on strengthening cybersecurity defenses. Overall, Averlon’s unique use of AI technologies to address security vulnerabilities and threats positions them as a key player in the cybersecurity landscape.
