Adaptive Security, a company focused on preventing social engineering attacks powered by artificial intelligence, has announced an additional investment from the OpenAI Startup Fund. This new funding brings the total raised in its Series A round to $55 million.
Adaptive currently remains the only cybersecurity company backed by the OpenAI Startup Fund, signaling strong confidence in its approach to protecting people from increasingly sophisticated AI threats.
The urgency of Adaptive’s mission is underscored by recent events that show how AI-generated deception is no longer theoretical—it’s already affecting real people. In one alarming case, U.S. officials, including foreign ministers, a member of Congress, and a state governor, received fake messages impersonating Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
These messages were created using AI and sent through encrypted platforms, according to a State Department advisory. Around the same time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned that AI impersonation could soon lead to a widespread fraud crisis.
While businesses are still the primary targets of these attacks, individuals are becoming more vulnerable too. A fake video posted on social media falsely advertised a cryptocurrency giveaway, prompting Ripple’s Chief Technology Officer to issue a warning. In Michigan, the FBI reported that scams involving AI-generated voices and videos cost residents more than $240 million in 2024. These examples highlight how quickly AI-powered fraud is becoming a personal threat, not just a corporate concern.
Adaptive Security is tackling this challenge with a platform designed to help organizations prepare for and respond to AI-driven deception. Their system includes simulations that mimic deepfake attacks using voice, video, and messaging to test how well companies can withstand these threats. It also offers personalized training that adapts to each user’s risk level, helping people stay alert to the kinds of scams they’re most likely to encounter. Additionally, the platform offers tools for real-time detection and reporting, enabling faster responses to impersonation attempts. Finally, it uses AI to score risk levels and guide organizations in focusing their defenses where they’re needed most.
How the fuding will be used: With the new funding, Adaptive plans to expand its reach and continue developing tools that help institutions and individuals stay ahead of evolving threats.
KEY QUOTES:
“Cybersecurity now begins with people, not just infrastructure. As AI becomes invisible infrastructure – embedded in how we shop, work, write, and think – it also enables deceptive attacks. Without upgrading how we train and protect individuals, we risk heading into a world where trust itself becomes our greatest vulnerability.”
Brian Long, co‑founder and CEO of Adaptive Security
“Adaptive is moving with incredible product speed to build AI-native defenses for equally advanced threats. Their platform delivers exactly what modern security teams need — realistic deepfake simulations, AI-powered risk scoring, and training that resonates. We’re proud to back a team that’s reshaping how institutions stay resilient in the age of AI.”
“A thing that terrifies me is apparently there are still some financial institutions that will accept the voiceprint as authentication … That is a crazy thing to still be doing. AI has fully defeated most of the ways that people authenticate currently other than passwords.”
Ian Hathaway, partner at the OpenAI Startup Fund
