Astra Security Secures $2.7 mn to Transform Cybersecurity with AI-Driven Pentesting
The funding round was led by Emergent Ventures and supported by Neon Fund, Better Capital, Blume Ventures, and PointOne Capital
Astra Security, a leading cybersecurity platform, has closed a successful growth capital round to accelerate its AI-powered pentesting solutions.
Founded in 2018, Astra Security has built a platform focused on continuous vulnerability scanning and penetration testing (pentests), designed to mimic hacker behavior for proactive threat detection.
With over 800 customers across 70+ countries, Astra’s platform is gaining traction among businesses seeking to stay ahead of ever-evolving cyber threats. The company has remained cash-positive while focusing on innovative solutions to modernize traditional cybersecurity practices.
“Pentests have been around for over a decade, but it’s time for an AI-first update to simplify and streamline the process,” said Shikhil Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Astra Security. “We’re eliminating the frustration of continuous security monitoring, enabling businesses to focus on other priorities.”
The funding round was led by Emergent Ventures and supported by Neon Fund, Better Capital, Blume Ventures, and PointOne Capital. Astra Security aims to expand its capabilities for identifying vulnerabilities in cloud environments while doubling down on its AI-driven approach to enhance security detection.
The company’s recent growth capital round of $2.7 million will help Astra Security continue to innovate and support its rapidly growing customer base. In 2024, more than 25% of Astra's clients were mid-sized and large companies, including Loom, HackerRank, Olx Autos, Mamaearth, Muthoot Finance, Prime Healthcare, and the University of Cambridge.
Uncovering Vulnerabilities at Scale: Astra Security’s AI-Powered Platform
In 2024, Astra Security uncovered nearly 5,500 vulnerabilities per day for its customers, leveraging AI to identify potential security flaws with speed and precision. As the cyber threat landscape becomes more complex, this number is expected to triple by the end of the year. The rise in AI-driven cyberattacks is creating a larger attack surface, and Astra Security’s platform is evolving to keep pace with these changes.
“The threat environment is changing rapidly with AI-based attacks,” explained Shikhil Sharma. “Traditional, periodic pentests are no longer enough. We are transitioning businesses to continuous pentesting to stay ahead of hackers and ensure constant security.”
AI-Driven Pentesting: Comprehensive Security Solutions for Modern Enterprises
Astra’s platform integrates a suite of AI-powered security tools, including Penetration Testing as a Service (PTaaS), a DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) vulnerability scanner, and an API Security Platform. These tools work together to identify over 13,000 vulnerabilities. In 2024, Astra’s platform helped its clients discover and prioritize the remediation of over 2 million vulnerabilities.
“Security is increasingly shifting to developers, who are facing more pressure than ever. Our AI-first pentesting approach is designed to simplify security monitoring so that businesses can focus on their growth without constantly worrying about threats,” said Ananda Krishna, co-founder and CTO of Astra Security.
Astra Security was founded by Shikhil Sharma and Ananda Krishna, who bring over a decade of experience in cybersecurity, having helped major brands like Microsoft, Adobe, AT&T, Yahoo, and Blackberry identify and resolve critical vulnerabilities.
