Endpoint Security Startup Ent Emerges From Stealth With $100 Million Seed Round

Intent-aware endpoint security company Ent on Tuesday emerged from stealth mode with $100 million in seed funding to build a new layer of workspace security that interprets user and agent behavior before risky actions are finalized.   The funding round was led by Decibel, with Sequoia, Crosspoint Capital, Craft Ventures, Shield Capital, Felicis, and In-Q-Tel also investing. The investment will be used to expand engineering and go-to-market operations while accelerating the development of Ent technology.   The San Francisco-based enterprise was established by cybersecurity veterans Elias Manousos and Brandon Dixon. The co-founders previously created RiskIQ, which Microsoft acquired, and subsequently contributed to the launch of Microsoft Security Copilot. According to Ent, its core platform addresses limitations in traditional endpoint detection and response tools, which typically log and respond to malicious events only after they have occurred.  The company noted that modern enterprise risks frequently resemble legitimate work activities, especially as autonomous AI agents increasingly execute automated workflows across corporate environments.   To counteract these threats, Ent deploys a lightweight software agent that introduces real-time AI reasoning directly to the endpoint device.  The technology continuously evaluates the behavioral patterns of both human users and agents at the moment of operation, enforcing custom corporate policies and triggering automated interventions before an incident occurs.   Ent works with the customer’s existing security stack, aiming to extend EDR, SIEM, SOAR, and IAM solutions.  “Security has been stuck in a reactive loop for over a decade, but AI-powered attacks require new thinking,” said Manousos, who serves as Ent’s CEO. “AI is changing both how people work and how quickly attackers can act. What once took days now happens in seconds. By the time traditional security systems detect a problem, it is too late. We believe the future of security lies in understanding intent in real time across people and AI agents and stopping risk before it becomes an incident.” Related: NewCore Emerges From Stealth Mode With $66 Million in Funding Related: Cyera Raises $600 Million at $12 Billion Valuation Related: Aryon Security Raises $29 Million in Series A Funding WRITTEN BY SecurityWeek News More from SecurityWeek News In Other News: Google Security Layoffs, AudiA6 Takedown, $400 Million Coupang Fine CISO Forum Webinar Today: 2026 Mid-Year Review A Security Raises $37 Million for Autonomous Offensive Security Platform In Other News: Anthropic Maps AI Threats, Unpatched Comodo Flaw, Palantir Chief Eyed for CISA Industry Reactions to New Trump AI Cybersecurity Executive Order: Feedback Friday Webinar Today: Third-Party Risk in Practice – Where Programs Break Down and How to Respond Willow Raises $7 Million for Securing Autonomous AI Agents Dragos Acquires xIoT Security Firm Phosphorus Latest News iRhythm Confirms Data Stolen in Hack Hacker Conversations: Isira Adithya, the Evolution of an Ethical Hacker Magnitude Emerges From Stealth Mode With $10 Million in Funding AI and Cybersecurity – Everything You Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask Cybercrime Group Claims Novo Nordisk Hack Can CISOs Trust Their Applications? 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