Security startup Guardio nabs $80M from ION Crossover Partners

The internet has a new security concern. As “vibe coding” tools become more common — and with them, the rapid creation of apps, sites, and codebases — the number of security gaps and vulnerabilities has also surged.

Cybersecurity company Guardio is stepping in to address this emerging threat: malicious code generated with AI tools. The company says the rise of these tools has made it easier than ever for bad actors to build phishing pages, scam sites, and the infrastructure required to operate them.

Expanding on its experience developing browser extensions and mobile apps that detect malicious websites, Guardio has built a system that analyses code and online projects generated through coding platforms. The approach has already attracted a major customer. Earlier this month, Lovable announced a partnership with Guardio to automatically scan all sites on its platform and remove risky ones — a deal prompted by reports showing several Lovable-built sites contained serious security flaws.

“Everyone is racing to innovate and capture market share. Security has been pushed to the sidelines, and very few AI tools partner with cybersecurity companies to ensure their platforms are being used safely,” said CTO Michael Vainshtein in a statement to TechCrunch.

To support this expanded focus, Guardio has secured $80 million in new funding, led by ION Crossover Partners, with additional participation from existing backers Union Tech Ventures, Emerge, and Vintage Investment Partners. While the company did not share its current valuation, it confirmed the figure has tripled since its 2021 raise — a $47 million round led by Tiger Global — though it still does not consider itself a unicorn.

Founded in 2018 by Vainshtein, CEO Amos Peled, and chief architect Daniel Sirota, Guardio began as a browser extension that flagged malicious sites and helped users monitor potential data leaks. Over time, it expanded into phishing protection, mobile security, identity management, scam prevention, and spam filtering. Today, the company reports 500,000 paying users and says it has surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue.

Guardio is now introducing new visibility tools designed to show users which documents they may have unknowingly shared publicly, highlight sensitive data exposure, and detect accounts lacking multi-factor authentication. Enterprise-grade Data Loss Prevention and SaaS Security Posture Management systems inspire these features.

“We use so many digital services that our data ends up scattered across countless platforms with varying security settings. In many ways, every consumer now functions like their own miniature enterprise,” Vainshtein explained. “Our goal isn’t to turn people into security experts, but to give them the level of visibility and control that corporations have.”

The startup also plans to let users connect Guardio to services like Outlook and Facebook to uncover additional risks associated with their accounts. Some of these visibility features will roll out to the free tier next year, Peled added.

ION Crossover founder Gilad Shany said the firm had been watching Guardio’s progress for years. Although the company wasn’t actively raising funding, discussions began last year.

“We invest across both cybersecurity and consumer markets and have had many successful exits in each space. Guardio is the first company we’re backing that sits squarely at the intersection of these two worlds — pairing top-tier cyber innovation with a deep understanding of how to scale a direct-to-consumer business,” Shany said.