AppGuard

What AppGuard does

AppGuard, Inc. is a privately held US cybersecurity company and subsidiary of Japan's Appguard Co. Ltd, operating from McLean, Virginia with a regional headquarters in Tokyo. The company sells a kernel-level endpoint protection platform that applies a default-deny, zero-trust architecture: rather than detecting malware signatures or AI patterns, AppGuard blocks the actions malware must perform through three patented controls — launch control (blocking unauthorized executable execution), containment control (restricting process trees with policy inheritance to child processes), and isolation control (protecting critical files, registry keys, and process memory from unauthorized access). This controls-based approach is positioned as a complementary layer to AV, EDR, and XDR rather than a replacement, and the company claims operational metrics of one-fifth the footprint of Windows Defender, 10-100x fewer policy rules than alternatives, and zero successful attacks across years-long deployments at large enterprise customers.

The product portfolio consists of AppGuard Enterprise for large organizations, AppGuard Solo for small offices and home offices (up to 20 users), and a next-generation cloud-managed platform currently in Insider Release. AppGuard distributes through three channels: direct enterprise field sales, an accredited Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) network, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce for AppGuard Solo. Revenue is subscription-based across both enterprise and SoHo tiers, with quote-based enterprise pricing and MSSP-delivered managed services for SMBs lacking in-house cybersecurity staff. The company has raised approximately $80 million in disclosed funding (notably led by ANA Holdings and JTB Corp., both of which are also strategic customers in aviation and travel) and reports a self-described customer base spanning tens of thousands of organizations and millions of endpoints, including named deployments at All Nippon Airways (25,000+ endpoints), JFE Steel Corporation, large healthcare enterprises, a global law firm, and the UK Ministry of Defence.

Name

AppGuard

Legal name

AppGuard, Inc.

Website

https://appguard.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AppGuard is a privately held US subsidiary of Japan's Appguard Co. Ltd that sells kernel-level, default-deny endpoint protection for enterprises, SMBs, and SoHo users, using patented launch, containment, and isolation controls to block malware techniques that AV/EDR/XDR miss.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Endpoint Security Software

NAICS

Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Endpoint Application Control & Allowlisting (HDADAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mobile Application Security (App Shielding, Anti-Tamper) (HDADACAL)

Keywords

• Endpoint security software
• Zero trust security
• Malware prevention platform
• Kernel-level protection
• Controls-based endpoint defense

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Enterprise Licenses: Subscription-based licensing for AppGuard Enterprise targeting large organizations. Sold through direct sales and channel partners (MSSPs). Pricing is quote-based and volume-dependent.
2. AppGuard Solo: Direct-to-consumer sales of AppGuard Solo for SoHo users (up to 20 employees). One-time or subscription purchase via website with self-service deployment.
3. MSSP Deployment Services: Revenue from channel partners (MSSPs) who deploy and manage AppGuard for end customers. MSSPs receive training and accreditation from AppGuard.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AppGuard is a kernel-level endpoint security platform that uses a default-deny Zero Trust approach to block malware techniques rather than detecting malware signatures. It operates through three patented kernel-level enforced controls (launch control, containment, and isolation) to prevent malicious actions on endpoints. The company offers AppGuard Enterprise for organizations and AppGuard Solo for small/home offices.

Product overview

AppGuard offers a controls-based endpoint protection platform that takes a fundamentally different approach from traditional detection-based security tools. The product portfolio consists of AppGuard Enterprise for large organizations, AppGuard Solo for small offices and home offices (up to 20 users), and a Next-Generation Platform currently in Insider Release. All products operate on a 'default-deny' Zero Trust architecture using kernel-level launch, containment, and isolation controls to block malware techniques without requiring signature detection. The company advocates for adding AppGuard as an essential layer that works alongside existing AV, EDR, and XDR tools to stop attacks those tools miss or detect too late.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AppGuard Enterprise: AI-enhanced, kernel-level endpoint security platform applying zero trust principles for enterprise organizations
• AppGuard Solo

Products and services

• AppGuard Enterprise A kernel-level endpoint security platform that applies zero trust principles to prevent known and unknown threats without relying on detection signatures. Uses launch, containment, and isolation controls to block malware techniques, complementing existing AV, EDR, and XDR stacks. Designed for large organizations with complex cyber stacks.
• AppGuard Solo Endpoint protection for small offices and home offices (up to 20 users) that enhances existing antivirus with controls-based malware blocking. Simple to deploy, runs silently, and requires minimal user intervention. Sold direct-to-consumer via the AppGuard website.

Quantifiable outcome

• 66% reduction in SOC hours and over $750K yearly savings at major airline with 40,000+ endpoints
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• Blue Planet-works, Inc.minorOthers · 1 February 2019Prior owner of AppGuard product line. Appguard Co. Ltd acquired the product line from Blue Planet-works, Inc.
• Appguard Co. LtdflagshipOthersAppGuard Inc. is a US subsidiary of Appguard Co. Ltd, a Japanese company. The parent company acquired the AppGuard product line from Blue Planet-works, Inc. and continues to operate the US subsidiary.
• Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of expert-trained and accredited MSSPs that deploy and manage AppGuard for end customers. MSSPs receive specialized training and accreditation to maximize AppGuard protection effectiveness. Common deployment model for SMB and enterprise customers lacking in-house cybersecurity expertise.
• JFE Steel CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the world's largest steelmakers (¥2.77 trillion revenue) deploying AppGuard in OT manufacturing environments as part of their 'DX with Security' digital transformation initiative. Chose AppGuard for offline operation capability and lightweight footprint in industrial control settings.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BlackBerry Cylance: AI-based endpoint prevention (CylancePROTECT) from BlackBerry. Competes in the same "prevent before execution" segment as AppGuard's controls-based approach, though Cylance leans on ML scoring versus AppGuard's kernel-level default-deny.
• SentinelOne: AI-driven endpoint protection and XDR platform (Singularity Platform). Direct competitor for prevention-plus-detection budget, with overlapping enterprise sales motion and a similar "stop attacks before they execute" marketing narrative.
• CrowdStrike: Leading cloud-native endpoint security and XDR platform. Competes for the same enterprise endpoint security budget; AppGuard positions itself as a complementary layer that stops what CrowdStrike's detection-based engine misses.
• Deep Instinct: Deep-learning-based endpoint prevention platform. Closely aligned with AppGuard's prevention-first positioning and competes for customers seeking pre-execution malware blocking rather than post-detection response.

Emerging players

• Malwarebytes: Endpoint protection with both consumer and business offerings (Malwarebytes EDR). Closely comparable to AppGuard's positioning of stopping malware that AV/EDR miss, especially in the SMB and SoHo segments served by AppGuard Solo.

Broad incumbents

• Bitdefender: Endpoint detection, prevention, and MDR provider. Competes in both consumer/SMB (GravityZone) and enterprise tiers, with similar channel economics to AppGuard's MSSP model.
• Sophos: Endpoint and managed detection (Sophos Intercept X) vendor with strong MSSP channel presence. Directly overlaps with AppGuard's MSSP-led GTM for SMB and mid-market.
• Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR: Enterprise XDR and endpoint protection suite from Palo Alto Networks. Competes for the same consolidated security-stack budget; represents the "single converged platform" trend that pressures AppGuard's add-on positioning.
• Trend Micro: Long-established endpoint and hybrid cloud security vendor with prevention and XDR offerings. Competes in the SMB and enterprise endpoint segment where AppGuard also sells through MSSP channel.
• Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Built-in, Microsoft-365-bundled endpoint protection on Windows. The most cited incumbent AppGuard must displace or layer above; aggressive feature additions (ASR rules, tamper protection) increasingly overlap with AppGuard's controls.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AppGuard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 AppGuard