Knostic Inc. Secures $11 Million to Enhance AI Security for Enterprises
In a significant boost for enterprise artificial intelligence security, Knostic Inc. has announced the successful raising of $11 million in funding to advance its innovative offerings. Founded in 2023, this pioneering startup is on a mission to support organizations as they navigate their AI transformation while integrating customizable safety layers into essential tools, such as Microsoft 365 Copilot and Glean.
Knostic brings a fresh perspective to AI security by providing need-to-know-based access controls specifically designed for large language models (LLMs). This solution enables businesses to incorporate AI technologies like Copilot with confidence, ensuring that sensitive information is shared only with those who have the appropriate authorization.
Tailored Solutions for Security Concerns
One of Knostic’s standout features is its Copilot Readiness Assessment. This proactive approach helps organizations identify potential data leakage and oversharing risks before scaling up their AI systems. By pinpointing security concerns at the outset, Knostic empowers companies to address vulnerabilities early in their AI implementation journey.
Using advanced analytics, Knostic automatically establishes need-to-know access levels within an organization, analyzing existing permissions and role descriptions. This means that users of AI-powered tools receive information tailored to their specific roles, significantly reducing the risk of unnecessary data exposure.
In addition to these features, Knostic offers continuous monitoring services that keep an eye out for policy drifts and violations that may lead to unwanted data breaches. They provide guidance for remediation, helping organizations adjust permissions and labels to mitigate the chances of oversharing sensitive information.
A Dynamic Approach to AI Security
Sounil Yu, the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Knostic, explains the essence of their approach: “Unlike traditional access controls, which limit our options to just allowing or denying access, need-to-know policies enable LLM answers that can be reshaped to fit within the user’s own business context. Need-to-know boundaries allow enterprises to accelerate their AI adoption without compromising security.”
Despite being relatively new, Knostic’s innovative solutions have already attracted considerable attention. The company has received accolades, including being named a Launch Pad winner at the 2024 RSA Conference and taking part in the 2024 Black Hat Startup Spotlight Competition.
Funding and Future Prospects
The $11 million Series A funding round was spearheaded by Bright Pixel Capital, with contributions from both new and existing investors, such as Silicon Valley CISO Investments, DNX Ventures, and Seedcamp Ltd. Notable angel investors include Kevin Mahaffey, founder of Lookout Inc., and Gerhard Eschelbeck, former chief information security officer of Google LLC.
Knostic Inc. is poised to play a vital role in the future of AI security, providing companies with the tools they need to safely adopt transformational technologies while safeguarding sensitive data.
The AI Buzz Hub team is excited to see where these breakthroughs take us. Want to stay in the loop on all things AI? Subscribe to our newsletter or share this article with your fellow enthusiasts.
