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The startup’s annual recurring revenue jumped sixfold year over year, with enterprise customers growing more than tenfold
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Customers include OpenAI, AppLovin, Pershing Square, and federal agencies using AI-powered threat detection
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The funding comes as AI-driven cyberattacks become more sophisticated, creating urgent demand for autonomous security solutions
A cybersecurity startup founded by a former Palantir engineer just closed a $40 million funding round with backing from some of tech’s biggest names. Outtake, which uses autonomous AI agents to detect and eliminate cyberthreats, landed investments from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, and billionaire investor Bill Ackman. The 35-person company has quietly built an impressive customer roster including OpenAI, AppLovin, and Ackman’s Pershing Square since launching in 2023.
Outtake founder Alex Dhillon knows the enterprise security game inside out. After nearly five years building AI platforms at Palantir, he left to tackle what he saw as a growing crisis – the explosion of AI-powered cyberthreats that traditional security tools can’t keep pace with. Now his former boss at Palantir, tech chief Shyam Sankar, is backing his bet, along with a who’s-who of tech executives and investors.
The company announced Wednesday it closed a $40 million funding round led by venture firm Iconiq, with participation from CRV, S32, and a roster of angel investors that reads like a tech industry all-star team. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora, Anduril co-founder Trae Stephens, and billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman all put money into the round, according to CNBC’s report.
What’s drawing this level of interest? Outtake’s approach to cybersecurity centers on autonomous AI agents that actively hunt for and eliminate threats like phishing attacks, rather than waiting for humans to spot them. The technology handles everything from email verification to scanning potential attacks across a company’s digital infrastructure. “We’re headed towards this world of always-on security,” Dhillon told CNBC. “You need agent tech solutions like Outtake, defending your neighborhood.”
