Empirical Security
Empirical Security builds dual AI models (per-customer Local Models and internet-scale Global Models, plus the public EPSS) that predict which vulnerabilities will be exploited in an enterprise's specific environment, sold to enterprise security teams via platform, API, and ServiceNow integration.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Empirical Security does
Empirical Security is a Chicago-based cybersecurity software company that builds machine learning models for vulnerability prioritization and exposure management. Founded in 2024 by the former leadership of Kenna Security (Ed Bellis, Michael Roytman) and the original EPSS data scientist Jay Jacobs, the company operates a dual-model architecture: Local Models are trained on each customer's asset metadata, compensating controls, and patching velocity, while Global Models are trained on approximately 2 million internet-scale exploitation events covering 17,000+ CVEs (roughly 12x DHS CISA's KEV catalog) with hourly updates from 1,400+ OSINT sources. The company also maintains EPSS, the only public machine learning model in cybersecurity, which is consumed by over 120 vendors via FIRST.org.
The product surface is delivered through three channels: a web-based platform (app.empiricalsecurity.com), a REST API with documented endpoints for Global, EPSS, and Local models, and an AI Agent chatbot for automated triage. Distribution combines direct enterprise sales, a ServiceNow Vulnerability Response app on the ServiceNow Store, and a strategic partnership with World Wide Technology's "Defending at the Speed of AI" initiative alongside Horizon3.ai, Infoblox, and Cognition. Target buyers are enterprise security teams (CISOs, vulnerability management, threat intelligence, application security, and cloud security), with several Fortune 500 companies referenced as design partners and research publications drawing on data from 500+ organizations.
Empirical is venture-backed with $12 million in seed funding closed in July 2025, led by Costanoa Ventures with participation from DNX Ventures, HPA Holding, and Sixty Degree Capital. The business model is recurring enterprise SaaS subscriptions with no public pricing; revenue is not disclosed and the company is at an early commercialization stage with 11-50 employees.
Empirical Security firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Empirical Security
- Legal name
- Empirical Security, Inc.
- Website
- https://empiricalsecurity.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Empirical Security builds dual AI models (per-customer Local Models and internet-scale Global Models, plus the public EPSS) that predict which vulnerabilities will be exploited in an enterprise's specific environment, sold to enterprise security teams via platform, API, and ServiceNow integration.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Empirical Security industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Vulnerability Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Vulnerability Intelligence & Exploit Prediction (HDADAHAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing Services (BPAEADAD), Privacy-Preserving On-Device ML (secure enclaves, TEEs, differential privacy) (HDAAAJAH)
Keywords
Where Empirical Security is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Empirical Security business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Enterprise SaaS Platform Subscription: Cloud-based vulnerability intelligence platform with Local Models, Global Models, and EPSS access. Delivered via web UI, API, and AI agent. Subscription-based model with enterprise tier pricing implied by platform access and demo request flow.
- ServiceNow Integration App: ServiceNow Vulnerability Response app available through ServiceNow Store, bringing predictive exploit intelligence directly into ServiceNow workflows.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Empirical Security product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Empirical Security builds and sells data-driven machine learning models that prioritize, remediate, and summarize cybersecurity vulnerabilities for enterprise security teams. Its core offering is a vulnerability intelligence platform delivering three products — Local Models (organization-specific models trained on each enterprise's environment), Global Models (internet-scale exploitation forecasting trained on ~2 million events), and the EPSS Model (the world's only public ML model in cybersecurity) — accessible via web UI, REST API, and an AI Agent. The platform is delivered as an enterprise SaaS subscription with quote-based pricing through direct sales.
Product overview
Empirical Security offers a unified vulnerability intelligence and prioritization platform built around three core AI/ML products: Local Models (organization-specific models trained on enterprise telemetry), Global Models (internet-scale exploitation forecasting), and EPSS Model (public exploit prediction scoring system). The platform provides a web interface, REST API, and AI Agent for automated triage. It uses a dual-model architecture where Global Models capture attacker behavior across the internet while Local Models capture targeted attacks specific to each organization's environment. The platform is designed for enterprise vulnerability management, threat intelligence, application security, and cloud security use cases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Empirical Local Models Organization-specific AI/ML models trained on each enterprise's environmental data, asset metadata, compensating controls, patching velocity, and telemetry to predict which vulnerabilities pose real risk to that specific environment. Only accessible to the owning organization.
- Empirical Global Models Internet-scale exploitation forecasting model trained on approximately 2 million exploitation events across 17,000+ known exploited CVEs, providing real-time probability of exploitation scores. Coverage is 12x DHS CISA's KEV catalog.
- EPSS Model Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS) — the world's only public machine learning model in cybersecurity, used by over 120 vendors to score vulnerability exploitation probability. Empirical generates, maintains, and trains the model with hourly updates under an enterprise tier.
- Empirical Platform Unified security platform supporting Global and Local models with a web interface for security data exploration, a REST API for programmatic access, and an AI Agent for automated triage. Covers threat intelligence, vulnerability management, application security, and cloud security use cases for enterprise security teams.
- Global Models API REST API providing real-time Global Model exploitation probability scores, exploitation activity data, CVE details, CPE information, exploit data, and historical scoring for enterprise security teams. Uses OAuth2 client credentials / JWT Bearer authentication.
- EPSS Models API Enterprise API providing hourly-updated EPSS scores with support for legacy versions (v3, v4, v5). Offers more frequent updates than the free daily FIRST.org public EPSS API, targeting security vendors and platform integrators.
- ServiceNow Vulnerability Response App ServiceNow Store application that brings Empirical's predictive exploit intelligence directly into ServiceNow Vulnerability Response workflows, enabling security teams to prioritize remediation and push intelligence into assignment, tracking, and closure workflows.
Quantifiable outcome
- 17,000+ exploited CVEs tracked vs ~1,477 in KEV catalog (8.7% coverage)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Empirical Security
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Empirical Security technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
Empirical Security partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- World Wide Technology (WWT)coreWorld Wide Technology announced 'Defending at the Speed of AI,' a global cybersecurity initiative developed in collaboration with Empirical Security, Horizon3.ai, Infoblox, and Cognition. The integrated program addresses AI-powered cyberattacks through continuous autonomous testing, risk prioritization, upstream threat prevention, and AI-accelerated remediation. The solution is available through WWT's Advanced Technology Center and Cyber Range.
- ServiceNowcoreEmpirical's ServiceNow Vulnerability Response app is available on the ServiceNow Store. The app helps teams focus remediation where most likely to reduce real-world risk, pushing intelligence into workflows for assignment, tracking, and closure. Joint lunch and learn events hosted in Toronto (April 13, 2026).
- Oligo SecurityminorJoint event hosting with Oligo Security including 'NoBull Shift' event in Boston (June 11, 2026) discussing AI's impact on cybersecurity and prioritization. Both companies presented on how prioritization and protection need to evolve in a post-Mythos world.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Empirical Security competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Tenable: Vulnerability management and exposure management platform leader with Nessus scanner installed base and Tenable One exposure platform. Competes with Empirical via bundled prioritization and broader asset coverage rather than organization-specific ML.
- Qualys: Cloud-based vulnerability management platform with TruRisk prioritization. Competes with Empirical through integrated scanning and risk scoring across cloud, on-prem, and endpoint environments.
- Rapid7: Security operations platform including InsightVM vulnerability management and Metasploit. Competes with Empirical via risk-based prioritization bundled with broader SecOps and analytics capabilities.
- CrowdStrike: Endpoint and cloud security leader with Falcon Exposure Management and Spotlight vulnerability modules. Competes via integrated agent-based vulnerability data and Charlotte AI prioritization features.
- Palo Alto Networks (Cortex XSIAM / VM): Cortex platform consolidates SIEM, XDR, and attack surface management including vulnerability prioritization. Competes with Empirical via AI-driven risk scoring inside a unified SOC platform.
- Bitsight: Security ratings and external attack surface management with exposure prioritization capabilities. Competes with Empirical on continuous monitoring and prioritization of externally observable vulnerabilities.
Emerging players
- Wiz: Cloud security and exposure management platform prioritizing vulnerabilities across cloud workloads. Competes with Empirical's cloud security use case via integrated agentless scanning and AI prioritization.
Direct peers
- VulnCheck: Vulnerability intelligence and exploit prediction platform offering real-time exploit data and prioritization. Most direct competitor to Empirical on the global model and exploitation telemetry axis.
Others
- FIRST.org: Standards body that hosts EPSS and operates the EPSS Special Interest Group. Not a commercial competitor but a governance and distribution counterpart — Empirical's team chairs the EPSS SIG while FIRST hosts the open model.
- Cyentia Institute: Cybersecurity research firm co-founded by Jay Jacobs (also Empirical's Chief Data Scientist). Closely related through shared research output, talent overlap, and distribution of vulnerability management data publications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Empirical Security social profiles
Digital presenceEmpirical Security compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Empirical Security financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Empirical Security leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Empirical Security funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Empirical Security M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Empirical Security
What does Empirical Security do?
Empirical Security builds and sells data-driven machine learning models that prioritize, remediate, and summarize cybersecurity vulnerabilities for enterprise security teams. Its core offering is a vulnerability intelligence platform delivering three products — Local Models (organization-specific models trained on each enterprise's environment), Global Models (internet-scale exploitation forecasting trained on ~2 million events), and the EPSS Model (the world's only public ML model in cybersecurity) — accessible via web UI, REST API, and an AI Agent. The platform is delivered as an enterprise SaaS subscription with quote-based pricing through direct sales.
Is Empirical Security a public or private company?
Empirical Security is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Empirical Security founded?
Empirical Security was founded in 2024. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Empirical Security based?
Empirical Security is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Empirical Security make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Enterprise SaaS Platform Subscription is the primary driver. The others are serviceNow Integration App.
Who are Empirical Security's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Tenable, Qualys, Rapid7, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks (Cortex XSIAM / VM) and Bitsight. Wiz is listed as an emerging player. VulnCheck is listed as a direct peer. Others are FIRST.org and Cyentia Institute.
Does Empirical Security have an API?
Yes. Empirical Security offers a REST API with multiple endpoints for vulnerability intelligence and scoring. The API includes: CVEs endpoint for retrieving CVE data by identifier with associated malware hashes, critical indicators, score history, and change history; Search endpoint for executing search queries against CVE data using Empirical search syntax; CVE Groups endpoint for managing saved CVE groups; Global Models API providing real-time probability of exploitation scores and underlying exploitation activity data; EPSS Models API providing hourly-updated exploit prediction scores with support for legacy versions (v3, v4, v5); and Local Models API for enterprise-specific models. Authentication uses OAuth2 client credentials with JWT Bearer tokens. The API supports JSON and JSONL response formats. Developer documentation is at docs.empiricalsecurity.com.
What industry is Empirical Security in?
Empirical Security's product category is Vulnerability Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAHAI, Vulnerability Intelligence & Exploit Prediction, with a secondary code of BPAEADAD, Vulnerability Management & Penetration Testing Services. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.