Horizon3.ai Surges Past $2B Valuation with AI-Powered Cybersecurity Breakthrough

Horizon3.ai has secured $250 million in Series E funding, propelling its valuation to approximately $2 billion. This significant milestone comes after a substantial growth spurt for the San Francisco-based cybersecurity startup.

The company's NodeZero platform utilizes AI-powered autonomous penetration testing, constantly probing defenses and identifying vulnerabilities. To date, NodeZero has executed between 150,000 and 170,000 such tests across more than 3,000 organizations. This innovative approach has led to a remarkable 137% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue for the first half of 2025.

Horizon3.ai's total funding now stands at around $428 million since its founding in 2019 by tech and military veterans focused on offensive security. The company recently expanded its autonomous testing capabilities to web applications with the launch of NodeZero WebApp Pentesting on July 29, 2026.

The shift towards automation-first security strategies among enterprise buyers is reflected in Horizon3.ai's ARR growth and valuation jump from above $750 million to roughly $2 billion in under a year. This trend has significant implications for the cybersecurity industry, particularly with regards to smart contract audits, a crucial aspect of the crypto world.