The way we secure our digital infrastructure is shifting rapidly, and for good reason. With concerns around AI safety and autonomous agents growing, investors are betting big on a new wave of security tech. Companies like Instinct and Simile are currently securing nine-figure funding rounds that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
The shift to AI-native security
Shardul Shah, a partner at Index Ventures, has been watching this evolution closely. After two decades in the industry—including backing the cloud security startup Wiz, which Google acquired for $32 billion—Shah believes the old model is obsolete. He argues that the traditional approach, which relies on periodic, human-in-the-loop security, simply cannot move fast enough to counter modern threats.
Because the digital landscape is now "AI-native," the defense must be, too. This explains why venture capital is flooding into early-stage startups that are building tools designed to operate in an environment where AI is both the primary risk and the core component of the business ecosystem.
Why it matters
As AI becomes more integrated into our daily workflows, the window for human oversight is shrinking. Transitioning to automated, AI-native security isn't just a trend; it's a necessary pivot to prevent massive vulnerabilities in a world where software acts faster than any human operator ever could.
