# From Inception to AI security leader - ProtectAI's journey to $700M+ exit to Palo Alto Networks - boldstart ventures

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Ideas · 2025-04-28

# From Inception to AI security leader – ProtectAI’s journey to $700M+ exit to Palo Alto Networks

![From Inception to AI security leader – ProtectAI’s journey to $700M+ exit to Palo Alto Networks](/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Untitled-Project-1.jpg)

1/What a way to kick off #RSAC2025!

💪🏻 Congrats @ProtectAICorp on your exit to @PaloAltoNtwks! 🚀

It all started 3.5 yrs ago in Hawaii; @ianrswanson saw what almost no one else did: the future of AI security.

We @Boldstartvc 🙏🏻 to partner from Inception

Here’s the story 🧵:

2/ @ianrswanson shot me a text: “Let’s step outside.”

We started talking – a Vulcan mind meld 🖖🏻.

We instantly saw it: AI security would be foundational to every enterprise.

An hour later, I pulled in my partner @ellenchisa.

No deck. No company name.

Just brainstorming

> 🔔 We’re excited to announce our intent to acquire [@protectaierc](https://twitter.com/protectaierc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw), an acquisition that reflects our commitment to remaining at the forefront of next-gen cybersecurity innovation. <https://t.co/LYFJ2E9Gg6> [pic.twitter.com/tsHsww1RSJ](https://t.co/tsHsww1RSJ)
>
> — Palo Alto Networks (@PaloAltoNtwks) [April 28, 2025](https://twitter.com/PaloAltoNtwks/status/1916836819649417572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

3/We’d known @ianrswanson for 10+ years — a proven builder, visionary, + seller, fresh off scaling ML/AI at @awscloud.

We committed immediately – with one ask: find the right killer co-founder(s)

He did: @badarahmed and @DaryanD13, two rockstars ready to build the future of AI security. 🚀

4/Fast forward: 3.5 years later.

You can’t deploy AI in the enterprise without securing it first.

<1 yr after a Series B at $460M valuation, @ProtectAICorp joins @PaloAltoNtwks for an undisclosed price reflective of its leadership to secure the entire enterprise AI ecosystem.

6/Here’s the post where we announced our initial investment – after months of building in stealth:

👉

> [Protect AI — MLSecOps, shift left security for AI/ML, welcome to boldstart](/news/protect-ai-mlsecops-shift-left-security-for-ai-ml-welcome-to-boldstart/)

[Read the Protect AI announcement →](/news/protect-ai-mlsecops-shift-left-security-for-ai-ml-welcome-to-boldstart/)

March 2022: the start of something special.

7/What we saw early at @ProtectAICorp:

• Killer founding team

• 🔥 Product vision + ability to ship fast

• Stay lean, founders to sell first 10+ customers

• Enterprise AI = inevitable

• Risk: timing

• Reward: massive upside

If AI is everywhere, securing it will be too.

8/The initial wedge: secure ML/AI pipelines — shift ⬅️

But @ProtectAICorp didn’t stop there.

One 🔑 lesson: they evolved from a single point product into a platform way early in its journey, bucking conventional wisdom, expanding across the AI security lifecycle:

• Guardian — secure AI models without compromising performance

• Recon — scalable red teaming for AI/ML systems

• Layer — runtime security for AI applications

•Radar – AISPM, posture management

• Agent protection — detect and defend GenAI-based applications

Protect AI didn’t just find a wedge, they created multiple entry points and built the platform enterprises will trust to secure AI end-to-end.

9/9/Timing is everything.

ChatGPT’s launch in 2022 turned AI security from a future problem into a right now crisis.

@ProtectAICorp had been quietly building for that moment:

Right place.

Right time.

Right product.

Now it’s truly inevitable as part of [Palo Alto’s New AI Security Platform Prisma Airs](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/blog/2025/04/deploy-with-prisma-airs/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=na&utm_content=20250428622)

10/ @ProtectAICorp is how a winning Inception inv. can work:

• Team, team, team

• Move fast w/courage + conviction

• Don’t overthink it, focus on how big if right

• Back technical founders who see the future early

• Be bleeding F$%#^ng early

• Run toward category creation

• Execute relentlessly

11/Huge 🙏🏻 to our incredible co-investors @ProtectAICorp:

@AcrewCapital (co-led inception)

@Pelion\_VP (initial rd)

@evolutionequity (led A+B)

@SalesforceVC

Knollwood, @StepStoneVC, 01Advisors, InQTel + more.

It truly takes a village to build a new category. 🛡️

12/To @ianrswanson, @DaryanD13, @badarahmed, + the entire @ProtectAICorp team:

You didn’t just build a product; you built the foundation for securing enterprise AI.

We @Boldstartvc are grateful 🙏🏻 to have been your partners from Inception to Exit.

Even bigger things ahead! 🚀

and thanks again to 🙏🏻 [@ianrswanson](https://x.com/ianrswanson), [@DaryanD13](https://x.com/DaryanD13), and [@badarahmed](https://x.com/badarahmed) for letting us join you on the journey- amazing vision, execution, resilience and to fellow board members

[@raknak](https://x.com/raknak) [@AcrewCapital](https://x.com/AcrewCapital) [@Rseewald](https://x.com/Rseewald) [@EvolutionEquity](https://x.com/EvolutionEquity) – rock and roll 🎸

LFG

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