Archipelago Raises $12M to Secure Human and AI-Driven Code

The Emerging Need for AI Code Security

Developing intelligent AI software doesn't automatically equate to creating secure systems. As AI increasingly contributes to software development, gaining visibility into its security aspects presents a significant hurdle.

Addressing this challenge is Archipelo, a San Francisco-based cybersecurity startup. They have recently launched, backed by $12 million in funding, to tackle the unique security concerns arising from AI-assisted coding.

Introducing Developer Security Posture Management (DevSPM)

Archipelo’s core offering is a platform designed for Developer Security Posture Management (DevSPM). This focuses on proactively managing the security risks introduced during the software development lifecycle.

According to Matthew Wise, CEO and co-founder of Archipelo, a dedicated tool for this purpose was lacking. “Every enterprise faces the challenge of balancing the productivity benefits of AI coding with the inherent risks,” he explained.

“Currently, there’s no comprehensive solution allowing organizations to observe and monitor all instances of AI coding usage to effectively identify and mitigate those risks.”

The Expanding Threat Landscape

While human error accounts for over 74% of security breaches, as reported by the Verizon DBIR 2023, the complexity escalates with AI-generated code.

Archipelo’s platform aims to help enterprises proactively secure code, whether created by humans or AI, before vulnerabilities make their way into production environments.

Funding and Competitive Landscape

The $12 million in funding will be allocated to product development and market expansion. This includes a previously unannounced $4 million pre-seed round and an $8 million seed round, led by Dell Technologies Capital.

Archipelo operates within the “cloud-to-code security” sector, competing with established players such as Palo Alto Networks (Prisma Cloud), Wiz, MSFT (Defender), GitHub, GitLab, Snyk, Checkmarx, and Veracode. Veracode has secured $114.3 million in funding to date, as per Crunchbase data.

Differentiating Through Developer-Centric Monitoring

Archipelo distinguishes itself by focusing on monitoring software risks at the developer level, before they materialize into security incidents.

This monitoring encompasses both human developers and AI agents or coding tools. The company asserts that other competitors are still in the process of developing similar capabilities for AI-driven development.

Wise clarified that Dell Technologies Capital’s investment is a standard venture capital seed round, and Dell is not currently a customer.

Early Adoption and Investor Support

Archipelo’s customer base includes Fortune 500 companies in the banking, healthcare, and defense industries. However, specific client names remain confidential due to ongoing deployments.

The funding round also saw participation from prominent investors including Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, Andy Bechtolsheim, Bill Tai, David Weisburd (10X Capital), Gil Penchina, Ed Roman (Hack VC), Anima Anandkumar, Samsung NEXT, and Nima Capital.

This strong investor support underscores the growing recognition of the critical need for robust security measures in the age of AI-assisted software development.