Serval, an enterprise AI automation company, has acquired Ensignia, a software supply chain security startup, and named its founder Sam Stewart as head of security. The acquisition is intended to strengthen trust as Serval's AI agents take on more sensitive enterprise work. Stewart will now lead security across the company's rapidly expanding platform.
Security Leadership for AI Automation
In his new role, Stewart will lead Serval's security function across detection and response, corporate security, application security, and infrastructure security. His responsibilities include the guardrails, permissions, and audit trails that govern how Serval's automation agents interact with customer systems. Serval co-founder and chief technology officer Alex McLeod said IT sits at the center of a company's most sensitive systems, including employee access, credentials, endpoints, and automations.
Founder Background and Ensignia Expertise
Stewart founded Ensignia to help organizations build trusted software by verifying the integrity of code, dependencies, and build pipelines they ship. Before Ensignia, he built infrastructure security systems and teams at Brex, Cruise, and Culture Amp. Earlier in his career, he founded and sold Claiming.com.au, giving him broad experience across startup growth and security operations.
Enterprise Momentum and Funding
The acquisition arrives as Serval scales quickly to meet demand from large enterprise customers. In December 2025, the company raised a US$75 million Series B led by Sequoia Capital at a US$1 billion valuation, just months after its Series A. Since launching in 2024, Serval has grown to over 100 employees and expanded from IT into HR, security, finance, legal, and other support functions.
Customer Trust and Sensitive Systems
Companies including Fox, Live Nation, Notion, Legora, Clay, and Mercor run on Serval, reflecting the platform's reach across enterprise support functions. Stewart said IT teams want the speed AI promises but will not hand over their most sensitive systems until they trust it. He added that trust starts with security, and that his years building software safely align with the rigor Serval's customers need.
Security as a Foundation for AI Adoption
McLeod emphasized that if the IT layer is not secure, nothing else matters, and that Serval was built on the premise that automation and security have to advance together. That principle is becoming more important as AI agents are granted access to employee credentials, endpoints, and workflow automations. Serval is positioning security not as a compliance function but as a core requirement for enterprise AI adoption.
Governance and Guardrails for Automation
A central part of Stewart's mandate is the governance layer that controls how Serval's agents operate inside customer environments. This includes permissions, audit trails, and guardrails that determine what AI agents can access and change. By formalizing these controls, Serval aims to give enterprise customers confidence that automation will not compromise sensitive systems.
Industry Significance
Serval's move highlights a broader shift in enterprise software, where AI agents are increasingly embedded in high stakes operational workflows. As automation expands beyond IT into HR, finance, and legal functions, the potential risk from insecure integrations grows. Security leadership at the executive level is becoming a competitive differentiator for companies selling AI driven process automation.
With the Ensignia acquisition and Stewart's appointment, Serval is pairing rapid commercial growth with a stronger security foundation. The company's ability to secure employee access, credentials, endpoints, and automations will be critical as it moves deeper into enterprise workflows. By embedding supply chain security expertise at the leadership level, Serval aims to reassure customers that AI driven automation can be both fast and safe.