Harmony raises USD $3 million to boost AI cyber defences

Harmony Intelligence has successfully raised USD $3 million to further the development of its AI-powered cyber defence technologies aimed at combating rising AI-enabled cyber threats.

The funding effort was led by Airtree, with participation from over 30 strategic investors, including First Row Partners, Maxwell Capital, and notable individuals such as Eric Ries, the CEO of Adept AI, and former and current executives from Plaid and Canva. This investment arrives at a crucial time when more than half of businesses in the U.S. and U.K. have faced deepfake scams, 43 percent of which have resulted in successful breaches.

Soroush Pour, CEO and Co-founder of Harmony, noted the increase in AI-powered attacks that challenge traditional security structures. "We're witnessing an unprecedented growth in AI-powered attacks that can overwhelm traditional institutions and defenses," Pour said. "Our mission is to level the playing field by building defensive technologies that stay ahead of these threats, ensuring businesses and organizations are protected as AI capabilities continue to advance at an exponential pace."

Harmony has positioned itself as a key player in the safety evaluation of AI systems, collaborating with major AI laboratories and government institutions. It has also contributed to initiatives such as the International Network of AI Safety Institutes and recently briefed the Australian Senate on AI-related risks.

The recent funding will support Harmony in advancing its development of AI-driven cyber defence innovations. Among these is an AI automation system dedicated to penetration testing, aimed at proactively identifying security vulnerabilities before they are exploited by attackers.

Alex Browne, CTO and Co-founder of Harmony, addressed the urgency of developing AI defences. "We're entering an era where AI-powered attacks will overwhelm traditional security measures by exploiting vulnerabilities faster than human teams can patch them," he stated. "In this new landscape, only AI-powered defenses can move faster than AI-powered attacks."

Investor Zach Brock, CEO of Adept AI, expressed confidence in the direction Harmony is taking in the cybersecurity field. "The cybersecurity industry is at an inflection point where traditional approaches simply cannot keep pace with AI-augmented threats," he noted. "Their automated penetration testing platform is a great example of the kind of innovation we need—using AI's strengths to help bolster cybersecurity and close the offense-defense gap."

Jax Vullinghs, Partner at Airtree Ventures, echoed this sentiment. "We're seeing an arms race developing in AI security," he said. "As AI systems become more powerful and accessible, the tools available to malicious actors are evolving at an unprecedented rate. Harmony's team combines deep AI and cyber expertise, making them exactly the kind of company we want to back."

The expertise behind Harmony comes from seasoned professionals. Co-founders Pour and Browne met at Duke University and later collaborated at Plaid, where Pour established the company's initial cybersecurity team. Browne has extensive experience in developing security-critical blockchain and machine learning systems.

Harmony is expanding its team, seeking to hire a Software Engineer and a Chief of Staff to support its growing operations. The company is noted for producing AI-driven solutions intended to protect critical infrastructures worldwide against AI-fuelled cyber threats.