AI security firm depthfirst has stepped into the spotlight after announcing a forty million dollar Series A funding round, a clear signal that investors are aggressively backing startups focused on defending against AI-powered cyber threats. The raise underscores how fast capital is moving toward companies that promise to secure modern software systems as attack methods become more automated and more intelligent.
The Series A round was led by Accel Partners, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential venture capital firms, with participation from SV Angel, Mantis VC, and Alt Capital. The size and composition of the round point to strong conviction that AI-native security is becoming a core infrastructure layer rather than a niche add-on.
Depthfirst was founded in October twenty twenty four, making the funding notable for how quickly the company was able to attract a large institutional round. In a market where early-stage capital has become more selective, a forty million dollar Series A places depthfirst among the better-capitalized startups of its cohort. The investment reflects urgency from investors who see cybersecurity as one of the most immediate pressure points created by widespread AI adoption.
Investors are responding to a sharp shift in how cyber threats are created and deployed. Attackers now use automation and machine learning to scale operations that once required large teams and long timelines. As a result, the cost of launching sophisticated attacks has dropped, while the speed and frequency of incidents have surged. For venture firms, this trend creates both risk and opportunity, and depthfirst is positioned squarely at that intersection.
Accel Partners’ decision to lead the round carries weight across the startup ecosystem. Accel has a long history of backing category-defining companies and has increasingly focused on infrastructure and security plays that support large-scale software development. By leading depthfirst’s Series A, Accel is effectively betting that AI-driven defense platforms will become foundational to how enterprises manage risk over the next decade.
The participation of SV Angel and Mantis VC further reinforces that view. These firms often back companies early when shifts in technology are just beginning to reshape markets. Their involvement suggests that depthfirst’s approach aligns with a broader investor thesis that traditional security tools are no longer sufficient for AI-accelerated development environments.
The funding arrives at a time when enterprise spending on cybersecurity is being reassessed. Many organizations are discovering that legacy tools struggle to keep pace with rapid code changes, sprawling cloud infrastructure, and complex software supply chains. Investors see startups like depthfirst as potential answers to this mismatch, especially as boards and regulators demand stronger security assurances.
Depthfirst plans to use the new capital to scale quickly across multiple fronts. A significant portion of the funding will go toward expanding applied research and engineering teams. This focus reflects the belief that security products must continuously evolve as attackers adapt their methods. By investing heavily in research, the company aims to stay ahead of emerging exploit patterns rather than reacting after breaches occur.
Another major use of funds will be product development. Depthfirst is building what it calls General Security Intelligence, an AI-native platform designed to analyze codebases, workflows, and dependencies for risk signals. While the technology itself is important, the funding highlights how much capital is now required to compete in modern cybersecurity markets, where customers expect deep integration and continuous improvement.
The company also plans to invest aggressively in sales and go-to-market efforts. With fresh capital in hand, depthfirst can pursue larger enterprise customers and expand partnerships without being constrained by short-term revenue pressure. This is a common strategy for well-funded Series A startups that aim to establish market presence before competitors emerge.
For investors, the size of the round is also a hedge against the intensity of the cybersecurity market. Building a defensible platform requires not only technical talent but also time. The forty million dollar raise gives depthfirst runway to iterate, hire, and refine its offering while maintaining independence from immediate acquisition pressure.
Depthfirst’s leadership background played a role in attracting capital. Co-founder and chief executive Qasim Mithani previously worked at Databricks and Amazon, environments where scale and security challenges collide daily. His experience helped investors gain confidence that the company understands both the complexity of modern software systems and the realities of enterprise adoption.
The founding team also includes security and AI veterans, which reassured investors that the company can execute on an ambitious roadmap. Co-founder Daniele Perito previously led security and risk engineering at Square, part of Jack Dorsey’s Block, while chief technology officer Andrea Michi previously worked as an engineer at Google DeepMind. This blend of backgrounds strengthens the investment narrative around execution capability.
Beyond team credentials, the broader market context made the funding timely. Governments, enterprises, and insurers are all paying closer attention to cyber risk as AI becomes embedded across critical systems. High-profile disclosures about AI-assisted attacks have heightened awareness that defenses must evolve quickly.
In late twenty twenty five, Anthropic disclosed that it had disrupted what it described as an AI-orchestrated cyber espionage campaign. Incidents like this have reinforced investor belief that AI is no longer a future threat but a present one, accelerating the flow of capital into defensive technologies.
Depthfirst’s funding also reflects a shift in how venture capital evaluates security startups. Rather than focusing on single-point solutions, investors increasingly favor platforms that can adapt as threat landscapes change. The Series A signals confidence that depthfirst’s architecture can evolve alongside attacker capabilities.
Early customer traction helped support the raise. Depthfirst has already formed partnerships with companies such as AngelList, Lovable, and Moveworks. While revenue details were not disclosed, these relationships demonstrate market interest and reduce perceived go-to-market risk for investors.
From an investor perspective, the funding round also serves as a signal to the broader market. Large Series A rounds often reset expectations around category leadership and valuation benchmarks. Depthfirst’s raise may influence how other AI security startups position themselves and how future rounds in the sector are priced.
The capital infusion comes as enterprises reassess budget priorities for the coming years. While discretionary spending remains cautious in many areas, security budgets tied to AI risk are proving more resilient. Investors are betting that this dynamic will continue, creating long-term demand for companies like depthfirst.
As AI continues to accelerate software development, the gap between innovation and protection is widening. Venture capital firms backing depthfirst are wagering that well-funded, AI-native platforms will be best positioned to close that gap. The forty million dollar Series A provides the resources to test that thesis at scale.
For depthfirst, the funding represents both validation and pressure. With significant capital comes heightened expectations around growth, execution, and impact. How effectively the company deploys the funds over the next eighteen to twenty four months will determine whether it can justify the confidence investors have placed in it.
What is clear is that the funding round reflects a broader shift in cybersecurity investing. AI security is no longer an experimental category. With rounds of this size, it is becoming a central pillar of enterprise defense strategies and a major focus for venture capital.
