PRESS RELEASE
Lakera, the world’s main real-time Generative AI (GenAI) Safety firm, has raised $20 million in a Sequence A funding spherical. Led by European VC Atomico, with participation from Citi Ventures, Dropbox Ventures, and present buyers together with redalpine, this funding brings Lakera’s complete funding to $30 million. This funding positions Lakera on the forefront of the worldwide financial system’s race to safe GenAI functions. As a part of this spherical, Atomico Associate Sasha Vidiborskiy will be a part of Lakera’s board.
It has been predicted that by 2026, 80% of enterprises can have used GenAI or GenAI-enabled functions in manufacturing environments, up from lower than 5% in 2023. As companies worldwide scramble to harness the ability of GenAI with out exposing themselves to AI-specific dangers, the demand for Lakera’s platform is anticipated to proceed rising at a fast clip.
Whereas GenAI might add an estimated $4.4 trillion yearly to international GDP, cybersecurity stays the second most-cited danger related to its adoption as conventional cyber instruments are ill-equipped to deal with the novel risks it poses. This creates a important want for safety options that tackle GenAI-specific dangers, with out which companies are unable to unlock the advantages of AI.
David Haber, Founder and CEO of Lakera, explains the urgency: “With the appearance of GenAI, the previous cybersecurity methods aren’t enough. Enterprises now function in a world the place anybody who is aware of methods to speak is aware of methods to hack. Safety options want to alter however they cannot get in the way in which of person expertise. There’s a want for real-time AI safety options that constantly evolve and allow superb person experiences.”
David elaborates in his weblog revealed at present.
Cybersecurity-risks posed by LLMs
The spectrum of LLM vulnerabilities is each numerous and extreme:
Lakera’s complete strategy to AI safety delivers three key advantages for enterprises: safety that does not decelerate their AI functions; the power to remain forward of AI threats with constantly evolving intelligence; and centralized implementation of AI safety controls.
The corporate’s development comes at a pivotal second in AI improvement. With the adoption of GenAI, customers now direct software program functions utilizing pure language, and Lakera’s real-time AI safety doesn’t compromise software interactivity. To make implementation easy for builders, the corporate’s API will be built-in with a single line of code, offering an ultra-low-latency safety layer suitable with any GenAI mannequin. Centralized controls permit safety groups to customise application-specific insurance policies and tackle rising threats with out code adjustments.
Lakera is uniquely positioned to deal with these fast-changing challenges, partially because of Gandalf – an AI academic platform created by the corporate which serves because the world’s largest AI crimson workforce. With over 250 thousand distinctive customers worldwide, together with firms comparable to Microsoft the place it is utilized in safety coaching, Gandalf generates a real-time database of AI threats which is rising by 100 hundreds of uniquely new assaults every single day and retains Lakera’s software program updated, guaranteeing steady safety for purchasers. The 50+ million knowledge factors generated by Gandalf, mixed with the founding workforce’s deep expertise in constructing AI techniques with real-time necessities, means Lakera’s clients are capable of keep forward of threats and ship superb person experiences.
Atomico Associate Sasha Vidoborskiy, who will be a part of Lakera’s board, mentioned: “Lakera has seen spectacular industrial pull, successful clients comparable to Dropbox and a high 3 US financial institution, and already having greater than 35% of Fortune 100 firms knock on their door. All these purchasers have an urgency to deploy GenAI functions into manufacturing, however cannot do it with out safety in place. Straightforward integration, best-in-class efficiency, and low latency are why they decide Lakera. However most significantly, the corporate is led by David and his workforce, who’re thought leaders within the area and have a deep understanding of what the adoption of AI means for brand spanking new cybersecurity dangers.”
“At Dropbox, guaranteeing the safety of our techniques and clients’ knowledge is a high precedence,” mentioned Donald Tucker, Head of Company Growth and Ventures at Dropbox. “Lakera’s workforce has in depth experience and a deep understanding of the complicated safety challenges firms are going through with LLMs and Generative AI. Their superior expertise helps firms like Dropbox safeguard towards vulnerabilities these new applied sciences pose. We’re thrilled to strengthen our present relationship with Lakera by investing in the way forward for the corporate and AI safety.”
Lakera plans to make use of this funding spherical to speculate additional in its product improvement and develop its presence within the US, the place it already has a foothold in Silicon Valley.
About Lakera
Lakera is the world’s main real-time GenAI safety firm. Clients depend on Lakera for safety that does not decelerate their AI functions. To speed up safe adoption of AI, the corporate created Gandalf, an academic instrument, the place multiple million customers have realized about AI safety. Lakera makes use of AI to constantly evolve defenses, so clients can keep forward of rising threats. Lakera was based by David Haber, Mateo Rojas-Carulla and Matthias Kraft in 2021.
About Atomico
Atomico invests in bold tech founders from Seed by to IPO with a selected deal with Europe, leveraging deep operational expertise to supercharge their development. Based in 2006, Atomico has partnered with over 100 bold groups – together with these at Klarna, Supercell, Graphcore, Compass, MessageBird, Masterclass, Attentive Cellular, Pipedrive and Hinge Well being. Atomico’s workforce of founders, buyers and operational leaders have been accountable for international growth, hiring and advertising and marketing at firms from Skype and Google to Twitter and Uber. The agency at present has $5B in belongings below administration.