AegisAI, a US-based cybersecurity startup founded by former Google executives, has launched publicly with US$13 million (S$17.6 million) in seed funding to combat the growing wave of AI-driven email attacks.
The round was led by Accel and Foundation Capital. AegisAI said it will use the funding to expand its engineering team, accelerate product development, and scale go-to-market efforts for its autonomous email security platform.
AI reshaping phishing threats
Founded by Cy Khormaee and Ryan Luo, who previously worked on Google’s Safe Browsing and reCAPTCHA teams, AegisAI is targeting one of the most persistent attack vectors in enterprise security: email.
The company said traditional rule-based filters are no longer sufficient against modern phishing and malware campaigns, especially as attackers exploit trusted platforms such as Salesforce, Zoom and Google to deliver malicious content.
A 2024 study found that phishing messages generated by large language models had a 54 per cent click-through rate, compared with 12 per cent for human-written lures, underscoring the risks posed by AI-powered attacks.
Autonomous AI agents
AegisAI’s approach is based on a network of AI agents that analyse and neutralise threats in real time. The company claims the system can reduce false positives by up to 90 per cent compared with traditional email security solutions.
Its platform integrates directly with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace through application programming interface (API) deployment. Customers in pilot programmes across fintech and technology sectors have reported higher detection accuracy without additional manual configuration.
Co-founder and chief executive Cy Khormaee said: “We’re seeing the sophistication of AI-powered attacks increase rapidly while existing email security defences are standing still. This leaves security leaders without the tools they need to defend their organisations.”
Market traction and next steps
AegisAI said early customers include Mesh and Lokker, with both companies reporting improved visibility and interception of phishing and business email compromise attempts.
Accel partner Eric Wolford said the investment reflects confidence in an “AI-native” team. “The AI era will inevitably drive disruption in email — the easiest attack vector. Cy and Ryan have spent an enormous amount of time in email security at Google.”
The company plans to expand its customer base beyond early adopters in financial services and technology. Its platform promises minimal setup requirements and enterprise-grade security design, with data minimisation and encryption at the core.
AegisAI is expected to focus on broader commercial rollout over the coming year, positioning itself as an alternative to traditional secure email gateways in enterprises facing increasingly AI-enhanced cyberattacks.
