Hackers are ramping up their game, using artificial intelligence to craft highly targeted spear-phishing emails. But now, a startup co-founded by former Google security execs is raising $36 million to fight fire with fire.

AegisAI’s cutting-edge technology uses AI agents that analyse each message as carefully as a human would, spotting subtle inconsistencies that could slip through traditional email security systems. This year alone, the company has won over customers from crypto payments firms to privacy platforms.

‘AI-powered attacks are now half as effective, and they’ve done their homework on you,’ says Cy Khormaee, AegisAI’s co-founder. His team’s agents can even catch malicious PDFs with hidden passwords – stuff standard spam filters might miss.

The market for AI-driven security solutions is booming, with rivals like Ocean and Abnormal Security also vying for top spot. But given the expertise of AegisAI’s founders in securing Gmail, they’re well-placed to lead this charge.

While starting small with email, AegisAI eyes a broader future: customised agents that investigate security threats across the board. Only time will tell if their smart agents can outsmart the bad guys.