Cybersecurity startup Guardio just closed an $80 million Series B round led by ION Crossover Partners to tackle a growing threat: AI-generated phishing and scam sites. The funding triples Guardio's valuation since its 2021 Tiger Global round as the company pivots from browser security to detecting malicious artifacts in AI-coded websites and applications.
Guardio is betting big that AI coding tools have created a massive new security blind spot - and investors are backing that vision with $80 million in fresh funding. The cybersecurity startup closed its Series B round led by ION Crossover Partners this week, with participation from existing investors Union Tech Ventures, Vintage Investment Partners, and Emerge. While the company won't disclose exact numbers, it confirms the round tripled its valuation since Tiger Global led its $47 million Series A in 2021. The timing isn't coincidental. As AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and newcomers like Lovable democratize software development, they're also making it easier for bad actors to build sophisticated phishing infrastructure. "With AI tools, malicious actors now find it easier than ever to build scam and phishing sites as well as the infrastructure needed to run them," Guardio researchers found in their latest analysis. The company's already proving there's demand for this protection. Earlier this month, Lovable announced a partnership with Guardio to automatically scan all websites built on its platform after Semafor exposed security vulnerabilities in several Lovable-generated sites. "Everyone is racing for innovation and market capture. But security is kind of an afterthought," Guardio CTO Michael Vainshtein told TechCrunch. "Not many AI tools are partnering with any cybersecurity company to make sure that content generated on their platform is secured and used for good." That gap represents a significant opportunity. Founded in 2018 by Vainshtein, CEO Amos Peled, and chief architect Daniel Sirota, Guardio built its reputation protecting consumers through browser extensions that detect malicious sites and alert users to data breaches. The company now claims 500,000 paying subscribers and says it hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue this year. But the AI coding boom is pushing Guardio beyond traditional browser security. The startup is developing tools specifically designed to identify artifacts and patterns in AI-generated code that could indicate malicious intent. This includes scanning for common vulnerabilities that AI tools might inadvertently introduce, as well as detecting when legitimate AI platforms are being manipulated to create harmful content. The approach is already attracting enterprise attention. "We feel every consumer is an enterprise in itself," Vainshtein explained, noting how Guardio is adapting enterprise-grade Data Loss Prevention and SaaS Security Posture Management capabilities for individual users. The company plans to roll out new visibility features that show users what documents they've shared publicly, identify accounts lacking multi-factor authentication, and integrate with platforms like Outlook and Facebook to surface security risks. For ION Crossover, the investment represents a bet on the convergence of cybersecurity and consumer technology. "Guardio is the first company we invest in at the intersection of these two markets," said Gilad Shany, founder and partner at ION Crossover. The firm had been tracking Guardio for years before initiating discussions, even though the startup wasn't actively fundraising. The funding comes as cybersecurity investors are increasingly focused on AI-related threats. While traditional security companies scramble to understand how large language models might be misused, Guardio's consumer-focused approach and existing user base give it a unique advantage in detecting real-world AI security threats as they emerge.
