What Prelude does

Prelude Security is a Seattle-based cybersecurity company founded in 2020 that provides continuous, agentless visibility into the deployment, configuration, and efficacy of enterprise security controls. The company targets security operations, IT management, and risk management/GRC teams in mid-market and Fortune 500 organizations that cannot, with conventional tooling, determine whether their layered stack of EDR, IAM, and vulnerability management solutions is actually deployed, correctly configured, and capable of detecting relevant threats. Named enterprise customers span insurance (Lemonade), financial services (Republic Bank), agriculture (NEW Cooperative), travel technology (Spotnana), public safety (Federal Signal), and analytics (Mathematica), with horizontal applicability across SOC, IT, and compliance functions.

The Prelude Platform is a three-pillar architecture. Monitor continuously aggregates read-only API data across disparate security tools (CrowdStrike, Sentinel One, Splunk, Microsoft Defender, Okta, Qualys, Jamf, Microsoft Entra ID, and 12+ other integrations) to surface coverage gaps, misconfigured policies, and configuration drift. Detect performs automated adversary emulation mapped to MITRE ATT&CK techniques to validate that controls can observe and stop relevant threats, with an optional Detect AI feature that uses OpenAI's generative AI to auto-generate tests from threat intelligence documents. Defend (Runtime Memory Protection, or RMP) is a research-preview user-mode Windows agent written in Rust that uses hardware-assisted telemetry (Intel Processor Trace, Last Branch Records, ETW) to detect malicious in-memory code execution at the CPU level—an architecture that targets the ~75% of modern attacks operating exclusively in memory that bypass traditional EDR. Strategic technology partnerships with Intel (hardware security validation) and OpenAI (generative AI foundation) sit alongside a 20+ integration footprint.

Prelude operates on an annual subscription model with non-cancelable Enterprise Licenses invoiced upon execution and 30 days in advance of each renewal; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The hybrid go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales, inside sales for mid-market, and a product-led self-serve free trial with API-based integrations requiring no agent installation. The company has raised over $46 million in disclosed funding across rounds in 2020 ($1.8M seed), April 2022 ($24M Series 2 led by Sequoia), and September 2025 ($16M led by Brightmind Partners with Sequoia and Insight Partners participating), with a syndicate that includes CrowdStrike (strategic investor and integration partner), MITRE, Four Rivers, IA Ventures, and Cycad Group. The company is SOC 2 Type II certified (effective July 2023) and operates globally with infrastructure on AWS and Google Cloud.

Name

Prelude

Legal name

Prelude Research, Inc.

Website

https://preludesecurity.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prelude Security delivers a continuous, agentless platform for monitoring, validating, and defending enterprise security controls across EDR, IAM, and vulnerability tools. The Seattle-based company serves security operations, IT, and risk teams across enterprise and mid-market segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Security Control Validation

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Other Computer Related Services (541519), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Patch & Remediation Orchestration (HDADAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Endpoint Deception & Anti-Ransomware (HDADAEAL), SaaS Security Posture Management (SSPM) (HDABAHAE)

Keywords

• Security control monitoring
• Continuous security validation
• Endpoint security platform
• Adversary emulation testing
• Runtime memory protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Software Subscriptions: Services are sold as annual subscriptions with non-cancelable payment obligations. Fees are invoiced upon execution and annually 30 days in advance of each anniversary. Quantities cannot be decreased during the Order Term. An Enterprise License grants users access to the Services during the Order Term for internal business purposes. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
2. Professional Services: Professional Services (Non-Prelude Services) including implementation and consulting services are offered alongside the core software subscription. Terms govern how these services integrate with the core platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Prelude is a unified endpoint security platform that provides continuous, agentless visibility into security control coverage, configuration, and performance across an organization's IT environment. The platform combines Monitor (security control monitoring), Detect (security control validation through automated adversary emulation), and Defend (Runtime Memory Protection, a user-mode Windows agent for catching in-memory attacks). It integrates with existing security tools via read-only API to validate that EDR, IAM, and vulnerability management controls are deployed, configured correctly, and capable of detecting relevant threats.

Product overview

Prelude is a unified endpoint security platform that helps organizations know with certainty whether they are protected against cyber threats. The platform operates as a three-part architecture: Monitor provides continuous security control monitoring; Detect enables automated control validation through adversary emulation; and Defend (Runtime Memory Protection) offers next-generation endpoint protection against in-memory attacks. Prelude's platform integrates with existing security tools (EDR, IAM, vulnerability management) to validate coverage, configuration, and effectiveness, and includes AI-powered test generation capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Prelude Detect: Continuous security testing software with AI-powered threat generation capabilities.
• Prelude Monitor
• Runtime Memory Protection (RMP)

Products and services

• Monitor (Security Control Monitoring) Continuously surfaces insights into control coverage and configuration across security tools (EDR, IAM, vulnerability management). Helps IT and security teams understand if security tools are deployed and configured correctly by aggregating security data across disparate platforms.
• Detect (Security Control Validation) Tests the efficacy of controls against adversary tactics and techniques through automated adversary emulation. Evaluates exposure against relevant threats and tests controls' ability to observe and detect adversaries using MITRE ATT&CK framework mapping.
• Defend (Runtime Memory Protection) A research-preview user-mode Windows agent written in Rust that comprehensively detects malicious code execution on endpoints. Leverages hardware-level telemetry (Intel Processor Trace, Last Branch Record, ETW) to monitor every code execution event at the CPU level, processing approximately 700 million events per day per endpoint at the edge with under 2% CPU utilization.
• IT Management Solution Solution for IT teams to demystify device management and compliance with continuous monitoring. Surfaces unmanaged devices, missing agents, and misconfigured policies across the organization's environment.
• Security Operations Solution Augments and scales control validation and exposure management practices for SOC teams. Helps optimize security policies and routinely test defensive tools against adversary techniques.
• Risk Management Solution Enables easy generation of defensible reports on the state of technical security controls for stakeholders, auditors, and underwriters. Maps controls to frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and NIST.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of manual adversary emulation work automated for enterprise customers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration24 records

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, infrastructure and supporting.

• IntelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic co-development partnership to combine Intel hardware-backed security capabilities (Boot Guard, BIOS Guard, TPM, below-the-OS protections) with Prelude's continuous monitoring platform. Joint webinar series 'Activate your Intel Hardware Security Capabilities with Prelude' co-hosted by Prelude CPO Pete Constantine and Intel Sr. Director Todd Cramer. Prelude monitors and validates that Intel hardware features are deployed and configured correctly.
• OpenAI OpCo, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationOpenAI provides the generative AI foundation for Prelude Detect's AI-powered threat test generation feature. Prelude's AI features (Detect AI) are based on OpenAI's generative AI solutions. Prelude uses OpenAI to generate security tests from threat intelligence documents. OpenAI's policies govern Prelude's use of AI-generated outputs.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)infrastructureTechnology or IntegrationAWS is Prelude's primary cloud infrastructure provider for website hosting and data center services, serving customers in the United States and Ireland.
• Google LLCinfrastructureTechnology or IntegrationGoogle Cloud provides cloud services, website hosting, and data center services for Prelude, serving customers in the United States and Ireland.
• Microsoft CorporationinfrastructureTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft provides business administration, delivery, support, and related services to Prelude. Prelude integrates with Microsoft security products (Microsoft Defender, Entra ID, M365) as part of its platform integrations.
• Atlassian Corporation PlcsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAtlassian provides customer support and ticketing services to Prelude for UK operations, as listed in Prelude's sub-processor register.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AttackIQ: AttackIQ is a leading breach and attack simulation (BAS) platform that continuously validates the effectiveness of enterprise security controls against adversary tactics — directly comparable to Prelude's Monitor and Detect products.
• SafeBreach: SafeBreach provides a BAS platform that simulates real-world attacks to validate security controls, EDR efficacy, and SIEM rules — the closest direct competitor to Prelude's Security Control Validation offering.
• Cymulate: Cymulate offers a continuous security validation platform spanning BAS, exposure management, and attack surface testing — directly competing with Prelude across the same SOC and validation buyer.
• Picus Security: Picus Security delivers continuous security control validation and mitigation through its BAS platform, overlapping with Prelude's Detect capabilities and target CISOs/SOC teams.
• Axonius: Axonius is a cybersecurity asset management platform that aggregates data across security tools to identify coverage gaps and misconfigurations — closely comparable to Prelude's Monitor module for security control coverage visibility.

Emerging players

• JupiterOne: JupiterOne provides a cyber asset attack surface management platform with continuous control monitoring and compliance mapping — overlapping with Prelude's posture management and MITRE ATT&CK alignment capabilities.
• Tines: Tines is a no-code security automation platform that orchestrates workflows across the security stack — an adjacent peer competing for security operations budget and overlapping with Prelude's automation and integration value.

Broad incumbents

• Wiz: Wiz is a cloud security platform expanding into security posture management and SSPM; a broader incumbent that overlaps with Prelude's control-monitoring value prop across cloud and SaaS security stacks.
• CrowdStrike: CrowdStrike's Falcon platform is the dominant XDR/EDR suite and a Prelude investor and integration partner; it competes with Prelude via native exposure management and validation features within its broader endpoint security portfolio.
• SentinelOne: SentinelOne's Singularity Platform is a leading XDR/EDR suite — Prelude integrates with and validates SentinelOne deployments, while SentinelOne competes broadly with Prelude's Defend/RMP endpoint ambition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/preludeorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preludeorg

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Prelude