Company intelligence

HiddenLayer

As of September 2, 2026, HiddenLayer has raised at least $100M in equity across 1 sourced funding round.

AI infraAustin, Texas, USAFounded 2022Website ↗See connections →

HiddenLayer at a glance

As of
Equity raised
$100M[1]
Across 1 sourced roundDerived
Lead investors
Delta-v Capital[2]
Series B · September 2026
Founded
2022[3]
Headquarters
Austin, Texas, USA[4]
  1. [1] Equity raised: Sum of the 1 sourced equity round in the funding history below (debt, tender offers and rumored rounds excluded), September 2, 2026
  2. [2] Lead investors: TechCrunch, September 2, 2026
  3. [3] Founded: hiddenlayer.com (retrieved October 15, 2026)
  4. [4] Headquarters: TechCrunch (retrieved September 2, 2026)

What HiddenLayer does

HiddenLayer sells security software for agentic, generative and predictive AI applications, covering discovery, AI supply chain security, attack simulation and runtime protection.[1],[2] The company says it was founded by security researchers who uncovered the first AI-specific malware.[2] In September 2026 HiddenLayer added Agent Harness Security, which extends its Runtime Security module to AI coding agents.[1] CEO Chris Sestito told TechCrunch in Sep 2026 that HiddenLayer parses and scans about 50 different AI file frameworks to check that open-weight models are what they claim to be.[3],[2] HiddenLayer says its researchers hold 39 granted patents and 65 pending patents (Sep 2026).[1]

Business model and customers

HiddenLayer says its annual recurring revenue grew more than 10x in the year to September 2026 and that it signed more than 50 new platform customers.[1] Sestito told TechCrunch in Sep 2026 that ARR was in the "tens of millions" of dollars, without giving an exact figure.[3] Financial services and large tech companies are HiddenLayer's largest verticals, and it holds contracts with the Department of Defense and the intelligence community, as reported by TechCrunch.[3] HiddenLayer says it supports a frontier model provider in securing more than 700 million weekly users.[1]

Leadership

  • Christopher "Tito" Sestito, Chairman of the Board, CEO and co-founder[2]
  • Tanner Burns, co-founder and Chief Scientist[2]
  • Jim Ballard, co-founder and COO[2]
  • Jacob Rideout, Chief Technology Officer[2]
  • Mike Gesnaldo, Chief Revenue Officer (named before the Sep 2026 Series B)[1]
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Recent changes

  1. Sep 4, 2026HiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security Consolidates Pulse story
  2. Sep 2, 2026Raised $100M Series B TechCrunch
  3. Sep 2, 2026New investor: Ten Eleven Ventures TechCrunch
  4. Sep 2, 2026New investor: M12 (FKA Microsoft Ventures) TechCrunch
  5. Sep 2, 2026New investor: Morgan Stanley TechCrunch

Funding history

1 equity event · newest first · sources dated per row
DateRoundAmountValuationLead investorsSource
Sep 2, 2026Series B$100M—
Delta-v Capital
WithTen Eleven VenturesMorgan StanleyM12 (FKA Microsoft Ventures)Booz Allen Hamilton
TechCrunch

Equity only. “Equity raised” above sums the rounds with a dated, linked source; rumored rounds, tender offers and secondary sales are listed but not counted, and debt financing is listed separately.

How HiddenLayer has been funded

HiddenLayer raised a $50 million Series A about three years before September 2026, as reported by TechCrunch.[3] On Sep 2, 2026, HiddenLayer announced a $100 million Series B led by Delta-v Capital, with participation from Ten Eleven Ventures, Morgan Stanley, M12 (Microsoft's venture fund) and Booz Allen Ventures.[1] HiddenLayer says it will use the Series B to deepen its platform, including Agentic Runtime Security and Agent Harness Security.[1] TechCrunch reported that HiddenLayer also plans to expand into Europe and EMEA with the Series B money.[3]

Investors and their roles

  • Delta-v Capital (led the Series B, Sep 2026)[1]
  • Ten Eleven Ventures (participated in the Series B, Sep 2026)[1]
  • Morgan Stanley (participated in the Series B, Sep 2026)[1]
  • M12, Microsoft's venture fund (participated in the Series B, Sep 2026)[1]
  • Booz Allen Ventures (participated in the Series B, Sep 2026)[1]

Investors

Delta-v CapitalM12 (FKA Microsoft Ventures)Morgan StanleyTen Eleven Ventures

Latest Pulse

  1. Island Raises $400M To Police AI Agents, Not Just BrowsersIsland, the enterprise browser security company, raised a $400 million Series F at a $6.4 billion valuation, more than doubling since 2024 as it expands beyond browsers into governing AI agent activity.→
  2. This Week Showed AI Funding's Two Speeds at OnceStoke Space and Mistral raised a combined $4.2 billion this week while Sapien and NavigateAI, two real vertical-AI companies with paying customers, raised a combined fraction of that -- the same split Pulse has tracked in AI money all year.→
  3. The Application Layer Is Where I'd Be Writing ChecksNearly $5 billion went into three compute-layer companies in a single week while the software built on top of that compute raised a fraction of it -- and the compute bets are credit trades wearing venture clothes.→
  4. This Week's AI Money: Crusoe, Fluidstack and a $100M Security CheckPulse's own tally of this week's disclosed rounds shows AI infrastructure and security pulling in well over $4.5 billion in six days, before counting fintech, space or robotics separately.→
  5. HiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security ConsolidatesThe Austin startup that scans models for tampering and attacks grew ARR more than tenfold in a year and drew Delta-v Capital, Microsoft's M12, Morgan Stanley and Booz Allen into a $100 million round.→

Coverage Timeline

newest first
  1. Sep 4, 2026FUNDINGHiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security Consolidates$100M Series B→

All Coverage

FUNDING

HiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security Consolidates

Illustration for: HiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security Consolidates
FUNDING$100M Series B

HiddenLayer Raises $100M as AI Security Consolidates

The Austin startup that scans models for tampering and attacks grew ARR more than tenfold in a year and drew Delta-v Capital, Microsoft's M12, Morgan Stanley and Booz Allen into a $100 million round.

DEEP DIVE

Value Add Research

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HiddenLayer FAQ

How much has HiddenLayer raised?

Value Add VC tracks $150 million across two HiddenLayer rounds: a $50 million Series A reported by TechCrunch and a $100 million Series B announced Sep 2, 2026.[3],[1]

Who invested in HiddenLayer?

Delta-v Capital led HiddenLayer's $100 million Series B in Sep 2026, with Ten Eleven Ventures, Morgan Stanley, M12 and Booz Allen Ventures participating.[1]

What does HiddenLayer do?

HiddenLayer makes security software that protects agentic, generative and predictive AI applications, from discovery and supply chain checks to attack simulation and runtime protection.[1]

Who is the CEO of HiddenLayer?

Christopher "Tito" Sestito is HiddenLayer's CEO, chairman and a co-founder; Tanner Burns and Jim Ballard are also co-founders, according to the company's About page.[2]

Where is HiddenLayer based?

HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas, as reported by TechCrunch in Sep 2026.[3],[1]

Is HiddenLayer public?

HiddenLayer raised a private $100 million Series B in Sep 2026, so it is privately held as of that date.[1]

When was HiddenLayer founded and where is it based?

HiddenLayer was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas, USA, according to hiddenlayer.com and TechCrunch.

References

researched 2026-10-19
  1. HiddenLayer
  2. HiddenLayer
  3. TechCrunch
Sources & methodologyshow
Where these figures come from

Figures are labelled Reported (a source states it), Estimated, Derived (computed from other facts) or Rumored (in talks / unconfirmed). Rumors never replace a confirmed figure. Each figure keeps its own as-of date; history is preserved rather than overwritten.

How we verify data ·