The AI Cowboys

What The AI Cowboys does

The AI Cowboys is a privately held, SDVOSB-certified AI and cybersecurity firm headquartered at the UTSA National Security Collaboration Center in San Antonio, Texas, founded in 2024 with 1-10 employees. The company develops sovereign AI infrastructure, an autonomous cyber operations platform (R-O-D-E-O) combining eight modules across blue team, red team, DFIR, forensics, reverse engineering, compliance, cloud, and ICS/SCADA at reported performance of 1,200+ end-to-end pipeline events per second, and a continuous human-verification platform (MagenTrust) for zero-trust environments. Parallel research output spans neuromorphic spiking-neural-network hardware, room-temperature quantum computing via nitrogen-vacancy diamond centers, and a published Agent Security Framework, with four DOI-backed open-access papers on Zenodo co-authored by CEO Michael Pendleton, CISO Corrina Alcoser, and CTO Jacqueline Suttin.

Revenue is generated through a mix of professional services (AI/ML model development, cybersecurity operations, quantum consulting, healthcare AI deployment, real-world and synthetic data services), managed services, data monetization, and emerging subscription licensing for R-O-D-E-O and MagenTrust. Pricing is engagement-based with no publicly disclosed tiers. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales with thought-leadership content (Substack, podcast, Zenodo publications, LMS) as the primary demand-generation engine, supplemented by federal SDVOSB set-aside contracting and partner channels through NVIDIA Deep Learning Institute, AWS Educator, and QAI/Analog Physics.

Customers are concentrated in U.S. federal defense and intelligence, healthcare and life sciences, and regulated enterprises requiring air-gapped or FedRAMP-class deployments; SDVOSB certification enables sole-source and set-aside federal awards, while compliance mappings cover NIST 800-53, CMMC Level 2/3, FedRAMP High (in progress), SOC 2 Type II, HIPAA, PCI DSS, ISO 27001, NERC CIP, and FISMA. The company is founder-controlled with no disclosed institutional investors, funding rounds, or revenue figures.

Name

The AI Cowboys

Legal name

The AI Cowboys

Website

https://theaicowboys.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The AI Cowboys is a San Antonio-based, SDVOSB-certified AI firm building sovereign AI, the R-O-D-E-O autonomous cybersecurity platform, and MagenTrust continuous human verification for federal agencies, defense contractors, healthcare systems, and regulated enterprises, founded in 2024 with 1-10 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Cybersecurity & Sovereign AI Platform Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

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), Regulatory Readiness & Audit Automation (e.g., EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001) (HDAAAMAE), End-to-End Enterprise AI Platforms (MLOps & Model Lifecycle Management) (HDAEANAA)

Keywords

• AI cybersecurity platform
• Autonomous cyber operations
• Sovereign AI deployment
• Neuromorphic computing research
• Quantum computing consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

San Antonio

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. AI & Machine Learning Consulting & Implementation: Custom AI and ML model design, training, and deployment services — from predictive analytics and computer vision to LLM integrations. Revenue generated through professional services engagements with government, defense, and enterprise clients.
2. Cybersecurity Operations & Consulting: Zero-trust architecture design, threat detection, penetration testing, incident response, and security operations services. Includes proprietary R-O-D-E-O platform deployment and MagenTrust platform access.
3. Quantum Computing Consulting: Strategic quantum consulting, algorithm design, post-quantum cryptographic migration, hybrid classical-quantum implementations, and quantum readiness assessments. QAI partnership expands quantum AI capabilities for enterprise and defense.
4. Healthcare & Biomedical AI: Clinical AI solutions, biomedical data center design, federated learning, regulatory compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, CFR 21 Part 11). Domain-specific AI deployment for hospitals, biotech, and research institutes.
5. Real-World Data Services: Human-validated data collection, annotation, labeling, curation, and custom dataset design for AI training. Domain-specific data covering cybersecurity, medical imaging, legal, defense intelligence, and more.
6. Synthetic Data Generation: Synthetic dataset generation overcoming data scarcity, privacy constraints, and bias for defense, healthcare, and enterprise organizations. Includes privacy-preserving data sharing, adversarial cybersecurity testing data, and augmented training pipelines.
7. EduTech & AI Training: AI workshops, technical training programs, LLM architecture workshops, prompt engineering, and responsible AI training. Offered on-site, virtual instructor-led, and self-paced via LMS. Custom curriculum development for organizations.
8. Proprietary Software Products (R-O-D-E-O, MagenTrust): Platform software licensing and deployment for R-O-D-E-O autonomous cyber operations and MagenTrust continuous verification. Available in modular packages for government and enterprise environments, including air-gapped and FedRAMP deployments.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The AI Cowboys builds and deploys proprietary sovereign AI and cybersecurity software products — primarily the R-O-D-E-O autonomous cyber operations platform (8 integrated modules for offense, defense, DFIR, forensics, reverse engineering, compliance, cloud, and ICS/SCADA security in an air-gappable, FedRAMP-ready deployment) and the MagenTrust continuous human-verification platform for zero-trust environments. These products are complemented by professional services in AI/ML, cybersecurity operations, quantum computing consulting, and healthcare/biomedical AI, plus synthetic and real-world data services and AI/quantum training delivered via LMS.

Product overview

The AI Cowboys offers a platform-plus-modules architecture combining proprietary security products with professional services. Core products include R-O-D-E-O (autonomous cyber operations platform with 8 integrated modules: Defense, Offense, Incident Response, Digital Forensics, Reverse Engineering, Compliance, Cloud Security, ICS/SCADA) and MagenTrust (continuous human verification for zero-trust environments). Services span AI & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity Operations, Quantum Computing Consulting, and Healthcare AI Solutions. Additional offerings include synthetic data generation, real-world data services, and the interactive 'Be the Neuron' educational demo.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• R-O-D-E-O: Autonomous Cyber Operations Platform - Real-Time Observation, Detection, Exploitation & Optimization. A unified platform combining offensive, defensive, DFIR, and reverse engineering capabilities, designed for zero-compromise environments with on-premises and air-gappable deployment.
• MagenTrust
• ToD (Topology-on-Demand)

Products and services

• R-O-D-E-O R-O-D-E-O (Real-Time Observation, Detection, Exploitation & Optimization) is The AI Cowboys' autonomous cyber operations platform that unifies offense, defense, DFIR, forensics, reverse engineering, compliance, cloud, and ICS/SCADA security in a single on-premises, air-gappable deployment for government, defense, and enterprise security operations teams.
• MagenTrust MagenTrust is The AI Cowboys' continuous human verification platform for zero-trust environments; it uses behavioral biometric analysis and entropy-based anomaly detection to continuously verify human presence throughout an authenticated session beyond login, detecting session hijacking, RAT operation, credential sharing, and insider threat activity.
• AI & Machine Learning Services Custom AI/ML model development and deployment services covering natural language processing, computer vision, predictive analytics, MLOps, and data engineering, sold as professional-services engagements to government, defense, healthcare, and enterprise clients.
• Cybersecurity Operations Zero-trust architecture implementation, AI-driven threat detection, compliance & governance, penetration testing, security operations, and incident-response services for government, defense, and enterprise organizations.
• Quantum Computing Consulting Quantum algorithm development, post-quantum cryptography migration, hybrid classical-quantum solutions, quantum simulation, research partnerships, and quantum-readiness assessments for government, defense, and enterprise organizations.
• Healthcare AI Solutions Clinical data integration, biomedical data center design using the ToD fabric, AI-driven drug discovery, automated clinical workflows, and federated learning for HIPAA-compliant healthcare AI deployment across hospitals, biotech firms, and research institutes.
• Synthetic Data Generation AI-generated synthetic dataset generation service that overcomes data scarcity, eliminates privacy constraints, reduces bias, and scales training data for defense, healthcare, financial services, and cybersecurity use cases.
• Real-World Data Services Human-validated data collection, annotation, labeling, curation, and custom dataset design services for AI training, with domain-specific coverage in cybersecurity, medical imaging, legal, and defense intelligence.
• EduTech & AI Training AI and quantum training programs (workshops, LLM architecture, prompt engineering, responsible AI) delivered on-site, virtual instructor-led, or self-paced via LMS, including custom curriculum development for organizations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% MTTR Reduction
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability14 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

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

• QAI (Quantum Artificial Intelligence) / Analog Physics Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2025Strategic partnership bringing quantum AI capabilities — zero-trust LLM integration, Mobius-Loop Holographic Memory, quantum SAT solvers, and self-organizing intelligence — to enterprise and defense clients. The partnership focuses on eliminating hallucination and bias in conventional LLMs through first-principles quantum reasoning. Led by CEO Michael Pendleton with Timothy-QAI technology at Analog Physics Inc.
• NVIDIAflagshipTechnology or IntegrationNVIDIA Deep Learning Institute Partner. Enables AI/ML training and deployment capabilities leveraging NVIDIA's GPU ecosystem and deep learning frameworks. Featured in trusted partners logos section.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationAWS Educator partner designation. Cloud platform partner enabling scalable AI deployments and cloud-native security operations for government and enterprise clients.
• WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed in the Trusted Partners & Affiliates section alongside NVIDIA, AWS, and FBI. Nature of partnership not detailed in source content.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFBI partner logo displayed in the Trusted Partners & Affiliates section. Nature of partnership not detailed in source content beyond general association.
• UTSA (University of Texas at San Antonio)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located at UTSA National Security Collaboration Center. Multiple research co-authorships (neuromorphic computing, quantum computing) with UTSA researchers on Zenodo publications. Petascale AI Lab partnership. UTSA alumni-founded company.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Clarifai: AI platform for computer vision, NLP, and multimodal AI with deep federal and defense customer base. Comparable on sovereign AI platform delivery, government-focused AI engineering, and AI application enablement for regulated environments.
• Darktrace: AI-driven cybersecurity platform with autonomous response capabilities for enterprise and government. Most directly comparable to R-O-D-E-O on AI-native cyber operations and SOC consolidation, though Darktrace operates at significantly larger scale.
• SentinelOne: Autonomous AI cybersecurity platform with endpoint, cloud, and identity protection, including Purple AI for security operations. Directly comparable to R-O-D-E-O on AI-driven detection, response, and unified platform architecture for federal and enterprise buyers.
• C3.ai: Enterprise AI platform serving defense, intelligence, and regulated industries with model deployment and AI application frameworks. Closely comparable to The AI Cowboys' sovereign AI platform thesis, particularly for government and industrial customers.
• Rebellion Defense: AI products for defense and intelligence missions including cyber, intelligence analysis, and autonomous operations. Directly comparable on defense-AI focus and government mission alignment, though with substantially more capital and scale.
• Primer.ai: AI platform for defense, intelligence, and federal civilian missions focused on document intelligence, entity extraction, and multi-source analysis. Comparable on sovereign AI delivery to government and on NLP/computer vision modalities.

Broad incumbents

• Booz Allen Hamilton: Top-tier federal IT and AI consulting prime serving DoD, intelligence community, and federal civilians with cleared personnel and large past-performance portfolio. Comparable on federal AI services and cybersecurity consulting, vastly larger in scale.
• Palantir Technologies: Sovereign AI and data analytics platform deeply embedded across DoD, intelligence community, and federal civilian agencies. A broad incumbent against which The AI Cowboys competes for sovereign AI workloads inside classified environments.
• CrowdStrike: Largest AI-native endpoint and cloud security platform with Charlotte AI for SOC automation. Broad incumbent whose Falcon platform competes head-on with R-O-D-E-O on AI-driven detection and response for federal and enterprise buyers.
• Anduril Industries: Defense technology company building AI-enabled autonomous systems and command-and-control software for DoD and allied governments. Broad incumbent competing for the same SDVOSB-adjacent and federal AI contracts at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/61558069898413
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-ai-cowboys
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_ai_cowboys
• Xx.com/capturetmedia

Compliance13 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 The AI Cowboys