Robust Intelligence
Robust Intelligence developed an AI security platform offering algorithmic red teaming and an AI Firewall to protect enterprise AI models from vulnerabilities and runtime threats. Acquired by Cisco in October 2024 for approximately $400 million.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Robust Intelligence does
Robust Intelligence was a private AI security company founded in 2019 and headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area (Palo Alto). The company developed an end-to-end platform for protecting AI models throughout their lifecycle, consisting of two integrated product lines: AI Validation, which proactively tests models for security vulnerabilities (adversarial attacks, data poisoning, prompt injection, jailbreaks) before deployment, and AI Firewall (AI Protection), which monitors model inputs and outputs in real time to block threats against deployed AI applications. The platform was augmented by algorithmic red teaming capabilities, including a proprietary method called Tree of Attacks with Pruning that can automatically jailbreak large language models such as GPT-4 and Llama-2 in under a minute to surface safety weaknesses.
The company was co-founded by Yaron Singer (CEO) and Kojin Oshiba, with Hyrum Anderson serving as CTO. It operated an enterprise field sales motion targeting large organizations deploying AI applications, generating revenue through subscription-based B2B software contracts. Pre-acquisition customers were horizontally distributed across enterprises deploying AI at scale, with no specific logos publicly disclosed. The company raised approximately $44 million across Seed, Series B, and Series C rounds, with investors including Sequoia Capital, Tiger Global Management, Engineering Capital, and Harpoon. Strategic partnerships with F5 (application security) and Pinecone (vector databases for RAG) extended the platform's reach into the enterprise AI infrastructure stack.
In October 2024, Cisco acquired Robust Intelligence for a reported $400 million. The company's technology became foundational to two Cisco product lines: Cisco AI Defense (for safeguarding enterprise AI applications) and Cisco Foundation AI (for developing secure enterprise AI innovations). Following the acquisition, Robust Intelligence no longer operates as an independent entity and was recognized as a 2024 Gartner Cool Vendor for AI Security. The acquisition reflects Cisco's strategic investment in AI security capabilities amid growing enterprise demand for protection against AI-specific threats.
Robust Intelligence firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Robust Intelligence
- Legal name
- Robust Intelligence Inc.
- Website
- https://robustintelligence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Robust Intelligence developed an AI security platform offering algorithmic red teaming and an AI Firewall to protect enterprise AI models from vulnerabilities and runtime threats. Acquired by Cisco in October 2024 for approximately $400 million.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Robust Intelligence industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Security Software
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (5415), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII) (HDAEANAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Model Security Testing & Red Teaming (adversarial ML, jailbreaks) (HDAAAKAC), Secure Model Deployment & Runtime Protection (sandboxing, isolation) (HDAAAKAH), Prompt Security & Injection Defense (HDAAAKAE), Safety & Alignment Evaluation (red-teaming, harmful capability testing) (HDAAAMAL), Enterprise AI Governance, Risk & Compliance Platforms (Model Risk, Audit, Policies) (HDAEANAE)
Keywords
Where Robust Intelligence is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Robust Intelligence business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Enterprise AI Security Software: The company provided an AI security platform protecting AI models throughout their lifecycle. Given the enterprise sales motion and Cisco acquisition context, the revenue model was likely subscription-based B2B software.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
Robust Intelligence product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Robust Intelligence provides an enterprise AI security platform that protects AI models throughout their lifecycle. The platform combines AI Validation, which proactively tests models for vulnerabilities such as adversarial attacks, data poisoning, and jailbreaks before deployment, with the AI Firewall (AI Protection), which monitors model inputs and outputs in real time to block threats in production. Algorithmic red teaming capabilities, including the proprietary Tree of Attacks with Pruning method, automate the discovery of safety and security weaknesses in large language models.
Product overview
Robust Intelligence pioneered the AI security category with a platform that protects AI models throughout their lifecycle. The core offering consists of two integrated approaches: AI Validation (proactively testing models for security vulnerabilities before deployment) and AI Firewall/AI Protection (real-time monitoring of model inputs and outputs to block threats). Algorithmic red teaming capabilities complement these products by systematically identifying model weaknesses. Following its acquisition by Cisco in October 2024, Robust Intelligence's technology became foundational to Cisco AI Defense and Cisco Foundation AI product lines.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AI Validation: Proactively tests AI models for security vulnerabilities before deployment
- AI Protection (AI Firewall)
Products and services
- AI Firewall (AI Protection) Real-time AI model firewall that monitors inputs and outputs of deployed AI models to block security threats, adversarial attacks, prompt injections, and harmful outputs. Designed for enterprises running AI applications in production. Now part of Cisco AI Defense.
- AI Validation Pre-deployment security testing platform that proactively validates AI models for vulnerabilities, adversarial attacks, data poisoning, and safety alignment issues. Designed for AI/ML and security teams responsible for vetting models before production rollout.
- Algorithmic Red Teaming Automated red teaming service that uses algorithms (including the proprietary Tree of Attacks with Pruning method) to systematically identify safety and security weaknesses in AI models. Targeted at AI/ML and security teams seeking to surface jailbreaks and vulnerabilities at scale.
Quantifiable outcome
- Automated jailbreak of LLMs in under a minute using Tree of Attacks with Pruning
Companies that use Robust Intelligence
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Robust Intelligence technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability5 records
Feature5 records
Robust Intelligence partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- F5corePartnership to bring real-time security to enterprise AI applications. The integration combined F5's application security expertise with Robust Intelligence's AI security platform for comprehensive protection of AI workloads.
- PineconecorePartnership to enhance security of retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) AI applications. The integration allows automatic scanning of data uploads to vector databases for security risks such as data poisoning and prompt injections.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Robust Intelligence competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HiddenLayer: HiddenLayer provides AI/ML application security including adversarial ML defenses, model scanning, and red teaming for enterprise AI deployments. It is the most direct competitor to Robust Intelligence's algorithmic red teaming and AI Firewall offering.
- Protect AI: Protect AI offers a platform for AI/ML security posture management covering model scanning, supply chain risk, and red teaming. Its end-to-end ML security scope directly overlaps Robust Intelligence's AI Validation and AI Protection products.
- TrojAI: TrojAI provides AI security testing, model evaluation, and adversarial robustness tools for production AI systems. It directly competes with Robust Intelligence's red teaming and validation capabilities targeting LLM and ML vulnerabilities.
- Lakera: Lakera offers real-time LLM security including prompt injection defense and AI guardrails for GenAI applications. It competes with Robust Intelligence's AI Firewall for runtime protection of large language model deployments.
- Calypso AI: Calypso AI provides AI security and governance platforms with model evaluation, red teaming, and runtime guardrails. Its scope across the AI lifecycle closely mirrors Robust Intelligence's combined Validation and Firewall product strategy.
Broad incumbents
- Microsoft Azure AI Content Safety: Microsoft Azure AI Content Safety is a native content moderation and safety service built into the Azure AI platform. As a hyperscaler-embedded incumbent, it competes broadly with Robust Intelligence's runtime protection capabilities for enterprise customers already standardized on Azure.
- Google Cloud Vertex AI Safety Filters: Google Cloud Vertex AI includes built-in safety filters, responsible AI tooling, and model evaluation features. As a hyperscaler offering, it provides overlapping runtime and pre-deployment safety capabilities to enterprises operating on Google Cloud.
- AWS Bedrock Guardrails: AWS Bedrock Guardrails provides configurable safety controls for foundation models deployed on AWS. As an incumbent cloud offering, it competes with Robust Intelligence's AI Firewall for enterprise customers standardizing AI workloads on AWS infrastructure.
- IBM watsonx.governance: IBM watsonx.governance offers AI lifecycle governance, model risk management, and policy enforcement tools as part of IBM's broader AI platform. It provides overlapping model risk, audit, and compliance capabilities compared with Robust Intelligence's enterprise governance features.
Emerging players
- Arthur AI: Arthur AI provides an AI observability and security platform covering model monitoring, bias detection, and performance management. It overlaps with Robust Intelligence's runtime protection and validation focus while extending into broader MLOps observability.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Robust Intelligence social profiles
Digital presenceRobust Intelligence financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Robust Intelligence leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Robust Intelligence funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Robust Intelligence 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 Robust Intelligence
What does Robust Intelligence do?
Robust Intelligence provides an enterprise AI security platform that protects AI models throughout their lifecycle. The platform combines AI Validation, which proactively tests models for vulnerabilities such as adversarial attacks, data poisoning, and jailbreaks before deployment, with the AI Firewall (AI Protection), which monitors model inputs and outputs in real time to block threats in production. Algorithmic red teaming capabilities, including the proprietary Tree of Attacks with Pruning method, automate the discovery of safety and security weaknesses in large language models.
Is Robust Intelligence a public or private company?
Robust Intelligence is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Robust Intelligence founded?
Robust Intelligence was founded in 2019. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Robust Intelligence based?
Robust Intelligence is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Robust Intelligence make money?
One revenue line is on record: enterprise AI Security Software.
Who are Robust Intelligence's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HiddenLayer, Protect AI, TrojAI, Lakera and Calypso AI. Broad incumbents are Microsoft Azure AI Content Safety, Google Cloud Vertex AI Safety Filters, AWS Bedrock Guardrails and IBM watsonx.governance. Arthur AI is listed as an emerging player.
Does Robust Intelligence have an API?
No public API is recorded for Robust Intelligence.
What industry is Robust Intelligence in?
Robust Intelligence's product category is AI Security Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEANAG, Responsible AI, Security & Privacy Platforms (Safety, Guardrails, PII), with a secondary code of HDAAAKAC, Model Security Testing & Red Teaming (adversarial ML, jailbreaks). Its NAICS code is 5415 and its SIC code is 7372.