OpenAI Fund Extends Investment in Adaptive Security, Raising Total to $55 Million in Series A

NEW YORK, Sept. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Adaptive Security, the leading AI social engineering prevention company, today announced a follow-on investment from the OpenAI Startup Fund, bringing the most recent funding round for the company to $55 million. Adaptive remains the OpenAI Startup Fund's only cybersecurity investment, highlighting the firm's confidence in its approach to human-centered protection amid rapidly evolving AI threats.

"Cybersecurity now begins with people, not just infrastructure," said Brian Long, co‑founder and CEO of Adaptive Security. "As AI becomes invisible infrastructure – embedded in how we shop, work, write, and think – it also enables deceptive attacks. Without upgrading how we train and protect individuals, we risk heading into a world where trust itself becomes our greatest vulnerability."

AI-Powered Threats Pose Real World Danger

Recent incidents show how quickly AI threats have moved from abstract to personal. In June, U.S. officials – including foreign ministers, a member of Congress and a governor – received AI-generated messages impersonating Secretary of State Marco Rubio, sent through encrypted platforms, according to a State Department advisory. That same month, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman warned at a Federal Reserve event that AI-driven impersonation could trigger a "fraud crisis," one he said is arriving "very, very soon."

While companies remain prime targets – particularly with the rise of deepfake job scams – consumers are increasingly exposed. A fabricated video on X falsely promoted a 100 million XRP rewards program, prompting Ripple's CTO to warn investors it was a scam. In Detroit, the FBI reported that AI voice-cloning and fake video schemes cost Michigan residents more than $240 million in 2024 – underscoring how quickly fraud is becoming personal.

These incidents show that institutions remain the front line – and how they defend against AI-powered deception will shape the risk for everyone.

Adaptive's platform addresses this with:

• AI-powered phishing simulations of voice, video, and messaging deepfake attacks to assess organizational resilience.
• Personalized security awareness training shaped to each user's evolving risk profile.
• Real-time triage and reporting to accelerate detection and containment of impersonation.
• AI-driven risk scoring to prioritize defenses where threats are most acute.

Investor Perspective:

"Adaptive is moving with incredible product speed to build AI-native defenses for equally advanced threats," said Ian Hathaway, partner at the OpenAI Startup Fund. "Their platform delivers exactly what modern security teams need — realistic deepfake simulations, AI-powered risk scoring, and training that resonates. We're proud to back a team that's reshaping how institutions stay resilient in the age of AI."

Hathaway's view is reinforced by Altman's July warning at the Federal Reserve, where he cautioned that traditional safeguards are already breaking down:

"A thing that terrifies me is apparently there are still some financial institutions that will accept the voiceprint as authentication … That is a crazy thing to still be doing. AI has fully defeated most of the ways that people authenticate currently other than passwords."

With OpenAI's continued support, Adaptive is defining how people and organizations defend against AI-enabled fraud.

About Adaptive Security

 Adaptive Security is the leading provider of AI-powered social engineering prevention solutions, specializing in protection against deepfake persona attacks, AI-driven phishing and multi-channel social engineering threats. By combining advanced AI simulations, real-time risk assessment and security training, Adaptive empowers organizations to proactively defend against emerging cyber threats.

For more information, visit www.adaptivesecurity.com 

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SOURCE Adaptive Security