MCP AI agent security startup Runlayer launches with 8 unicorns, $11M from Khosla’s Keith Rabois and Felicis

Runlayer, a new startup focused on security for AI agents, has officially launched after operating in stealth mode, securing $11 million in seed funding from notable investors including Keith Rabois of Khosla Ventures and Felicis. The company was founded by Andrew Berman, a seasoned entrepreneur who previously created the baby monitor company Nanit and developed an AI video conferencing tool, Vowel, which was acquired by Zapier in 2024. Since its inception, Runlayer has made significant strides, signing on numerous clients, including eight unicorns and public companies such as Gusto, Rippling, dbt Labs, Instacart, Opendoor, and Ramp. The company has also enlisted David Soria Parra, the lead architect behind the Model Context Protocol (MCP), as an angel investor and advisor. The MCP, launched as an open-source project by Parra's team at Anthropic in November 2024, has rapidly gained traction as the go-to standard for enabling AI agents to autonomously connect with necessary data and systems. This protocol empowers agents to access, manipulate, and execute business processes without human intervention. However, the MCP protocol has faced scrutiny due to security vulnerabilities. Research has uncovered several weaknesses, including a significant prompt injection vulnerability discovered by Invariant Labs that exposed private GitHub repositories. Similarly, Asana addressed a flaw in their MCP server that could have compromised customer data. Such incidents have highlighted the urgent need for robust security solutions tailored for MCP deployments. In response, numerous security products have emerged, including offerings from major companies like CloudFlare and Docker, as well as various startups. Among these, Runlayer aims to differentiate itself by providing an all-in-one security solution. This includes a security gateway, threat detection capabilities, comprehensive observability for agent activity across permitted MCP servers, and customizable permissions that integrate with existing identity providers like Okta and Entra. Runlayer's unique approach allows businesses to control agent access based on user permissions, creating a secure environment for financial systems and sensitive data. Berman, motivated by previous experiences with the MCP protocol's rapid adoption and the accompanying security risks, believes that Runlayer’s comprehensive offerings, coupled with the team's extensive experience, position the startup as a leader in the evolving AI security landscape. In just four months, Runlayer has already attracted eight unicorns, showcasing its potential impact in this competitive market.