Aikido, a Belgian developer-first cybersecurity company, has successfully closed a $60 million Series B funding round, achieving a $1 billion valuation. The investment, led by Tom Stafford at DST Global with participation from PSG Equity and others, marks a significant milestone for the firm. This achievement establishes Aikido as the fastest-ever European cybersecurity company to attain unicorn status, signaling strong market confidence in its innovative approach.
Addressing the Developer-Security Disconnect
Aikido was founded to address the growing friction between security protocols and modern software development workflows. Developers are often overwhelmed by a deluge of alerts from disparate tools, which creates noise rather than actionable clarity. This complexity hinders productivity and shifts focus away from building features to managing a confusing array of security acronyms and dashboards.
A Unified Platform for Modern Engineering
The company's platform provides a unified solution for securing the entire software lifecycle, from code and supply chain to cloud and runtime environments. By consolidating these functions, Aikido enables teams to move beyond simple vulnerability detection to automated triage and remediation. This integrated approach provides a clear, contextualized view of risk, allowing engineers to address critical issues efficiently and effectively.
Pioneering Self-Securing Software
Looking ahead, Aikido is championing the concept of self-securing software to keep pace with accelerated development cycles driven by AI. A key step in this direction is the launch of Aikido Attack, an AI-driven penetration testing tool that deploys autonomous agents. These agents hunt for vulnerabilities, validate exploits, and provide built-in remediation, embedding continuous security directly into the development process.
Unprecedented Growth and European Triumph
The company's rapid ascent is underscored by impressive metrics, including a fivefold increase in revenue and a tripling of its customer base over the past year. Aikido now serves over 100,000 teams globally, with prominent clients such as the Premier League, SoundCloud, and Revolut. This success story challenges the traditional dominance of US and Israeli firms, proving Europe can produce world-class cybersecurity innovators.
Aikido's journey is notable for its unconventional, outsider approach, originating from a European village without a traditional cybersecurity network. This forced the company to rely on a developer-led, bottom-up growth model that prioritized delivering tangible value. This strategy has become a core strength, fostering a culture of innovation within its 180-person team, which includes over 21 former founders.
This $60 million investment propels Aikido into its next phase of growth, reinforcing its position as a leader in developer-centric security. The funding will accelerate the development of its unified platform and advance its vision for self-securing software. Aikido is now poised to further transform how security is integrated into engineering, empowering developers to build innovative products securely and at scale.