AI security firm, depthfirst, announces $40 million Series A - TechCrunch

Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI in their attacks. At the same time, cyber defenders are also turning to the technology to fight back. Depthfirst, a security startup positioning itself at the forefront of this AI-powered defense, announced Wednesday that it had raised $40 million in a Series A round. Founded in October 2024, the company raised the round from Accel Partners, which led the investment, with participation from SV Angel, Mantis VC, and Alt Capital. Depthfirst offers a platform called General Security Intelligence, an AI-native suite that helps companies scan and analyze their codebases and workflows for signs of trouble. The company says that the platform also allows companies to protect themselves from credential exposures and to monitor threats to their open source and third-party components. The company plans to use the new capital to hire additional staff for applied research and engineering, as well as product and sales.  “We’ve entered an era where software is written faster than it can be secured,” said Qasim Mithani, the company’s co-founder and CEO, as part of the announcement. Mithani, who previously worked for Databricks and Amazon, added that automation has changed how bad actors execute their attacks. “AI has already changed how attackers work. Defense has to evolve just as fundamentally.” The company’s leadership comes with backgrounds in both AI and security. One of depthfirst’s other co-founders, Daniele Perito, previously served as director of security and risk engineering at Square, which is part of Jack Dorsey’s Block. Its CTO (and another co-founder), Andrea Michi, was previously an engineer at Google DeepMind. Just as AI can be used for legitimate purposes, it can also be used by cybercriminals to automate a whole range of malicious processes — from writing malware to social engineering attacks to scanning for vulnerabilities to exploit. Last November, Anthropic claimed that it had thwarted the first “AI orchestrated cyber espionage campaign.” This Week Only: Up to $482 savings for Disrupt 2026 Offer ends April 10, 11:59 p.m. PT Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register now to secure these savings. San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026 REGISTER NOW Depthfirst says it can help protect companies from many of these “AI-driven exploits,” and that it has already developed partnerships with a number of prominent companies, including AngelList, Lovable, and Moveworks. Topics Accel Partners, AI, cybersecurity, Databricks, Depthfirst, Security, Startups, Venture Lucas Ropek Senior Writer, TechCrunch Lucas is a senior writer at TechCrunch, where he covers artificial intelligence, consumer tech, and startups. He previously covered AI and cybersecurity at Gizmodo. You can contact Lucas by emailing lucas.ropek@techcrunch.com. View Bio April 30 San Francisco, CA StrictlyVC kicks off the year in SF. Get in the room for unfiltered fireside chats with industry leaders, insider VC insights, and high-value connections that actually move the needle. Tickets are limited. REGISTER NOW Most Popular Anthropic says Claude Code subscribers will need to pay extra for OpenClaw usage Anthropic took down thousands of GitHub repos trying to yank its leaked source code — a move the company says was an accident The reputation of troubled YC startup Delve has gotten even worse Anthropic is having a month Salesforce announces an AI-heavy makeover for Slack, with 30 new features Google is now letting users in the US change their Gmail address Allbirds is selling for $39M. It raised nearly 10 times that amount in its IPO.