Pluto Security Raises $42M to Tackle Emerging AI-Driven Enterprise Security Risks

Image: TechCrunch · Source

Pluto Security secures $42 million in funding to help enterprises manage rising security risks introduced by widespread AI tool adoption, providing real-time monitoring and control over AI agents and apps.

As AI tools become widely accessible within organizations, enterprises face unprecedented security challenges stemming from employees' unexpected uses of these technologies. Pluto Security, an emerging cybersecurity startup, highlights how rapidly AI applications infiltrate corporate environments—often within mere hours of launch—and the associated risks from non-developer teams such as finance, marketing, and legal departments.

Pluto Security’s CEO and co-founder, Shahar Bahat, emphasized that about 60% of security risks detected by their solutions arise from AI applications developed outside IT departments, spotlighting a Fortune 500 instance where a finance employee crafted an AI-powered app that was inadvertently exposed to the internet, risking sensitive customer data.

Exiting stealth mode with $42 million in funding, Pluto targets the unique security gaps AI adoption has introduced, claiming traditional security tools are insufficient to monitor and mitigate AI usage. Since beginning sales in April, Pluto has acquired over 30 enterprise clients—among them Oscar Health, Workato, Sixt, and AlphaSense—achieving more than $2 million in annual recurring revenue.

The recent funding includes an $8.5 million seed round led by TLV Partners with participation from cybersecurity veterans and a $34 million Series A led by Jump Capital. This financial backing supports Pluto’s vision of shifting security focus from conventional user behavior analytics to monitoring AI agent behavior in real-time.

Pluto’s platform audits AI tools employees employ, including their components, extensions, and custom applications, to detect and control risky or malicious activities without hindering legitimate AI tool usage. By integrating with endpoint security and device management systems, Pluto collects data on user prompts, processes, and permissions, utilizing lightweight, on-device models to evaluate agent intentions. Notably, Pluto’s system can proactively intervene during active AI agent sessions, preventing unauthorized actions or requiring confirmation for elevated permissions.

Offering Plutonium, a free risk assessment platform for public AI components, Pluto cultivates a community of thousands of security professionals providing feedback and generating inbound interest—the source of 70% of its current sales pipeline.

With 40 employees across the U.S. and Israel, Pluto plans to use the new investment to enhance its product, expand security research capabilities, and grow its U.S. market presence. This trajectory underscores the urgent need for specialized AI security solutions amid rapidly evolving enterprise AI adoption and threat landscapes.