From Yahoo Finance: 2025-05-03 14:11:00

Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity giant with a market cap near $120 billion, is acquiring Protect AI, a Seattle-based startup specializing in AI security. The deal, valued at over $500 million, is set to close later this year, as reported by GeekWire. Protect AI helps secure machine learning systems for enterprise customers.

Protect AI, founded by former Amazon, Oracle, and AWS leaders in 2022, focuses on monitoring every layer of the AI pipeline to safeguard against AI-based attacks. The startup raised $60 million in a Series B round in 2024, bringing its total valuation to approximately $400 million, according to Bloomberg.

The acquisition will be integrated into Palo Alto Networks’ AI-native security platform, targeting emerging threats like model manipulation and training data poisoning. Protect AI’s CEO, Ian Swanson, emphasized the importance of securing AI technology and developing leading solutions amidst a growing industry urgency.

Protect AI has acquired other companies to expand its capabilities in securing AI supply chains, employing around 120 people across offices in Seattle, Berlin, and Bangalore. As AI-related breaches increase, the acquisition signifies Palo Alto Networks’ push towards AI-specific security in various sectors like finance, healthcare, and government.

Analysts predict significant growth in the AI cybersecurity market, with Morgan Stanley projecting a surge to $135 billion by 2030. The increasing need for solutions to protect advanced machine learning environments drives this market growth and highlights the importance of AI security in the evolving technological landscape.



Read more at Yahoo Finance: Palo Alto Networks Acquires Protect AI For $500M+, A Startup Backed By Salesforce, Samsung, And 01 Advisors In AI Security Push