What’s next for cybersecurity, according to Index Ventures’ Shardul Shah
Index Ventures partner Shardul Shah says AI risk is pushing earlier investment in AI-native cybersecurity.
On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Index Ventures partner Shardul Shah discusses rising cybersecurity investment as AI safety concerns grow. He argues periodic human-in-the-loop security cannot keep pace and says Index is backing AI-native security companies earlier. The episode cites Google's $32 billion acquisition of Wiz and nine-figure checks for startups such as Instinct and Simile.
- Shah says cyber insurance should be many firms' first AI-era risk step.
- A hypothetical 10,000-agent ransomware swarm could force machine-to-machine defense.
- Google acquired Wiz for $32 billion after six Index Ventures rounds.
- Index is funding AI-native security startups earlier than past proof thresholds.
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As concern over AI safety and rogue agents continue to make headlines, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity stocks are rising, or that investors are pouring massive amounts of capital into startups trying to build the next generation of security for an AI-native world. We’re even seeing companies like Instinct and Simile bring in nine-figure checks and valuations that wouldn’t have made sense a few years ago.
With a front row seat to it all is Shardul Shah, a partner at Index Ventures who’s spent nearly two decades investing in cybersecurity and enterprise software — including six consecutive rounds in cloud security startup Wiz, which Google acquired for $32 billion earlier this year in one of its largest acquisitions ever.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Shah joins Rebecca Bellan to break down why he thinks periodic, human-in-the-loop security can’t keep up anymore, and why Index continues investing in AI-native security companies at stages that once required much more proof.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
- Why Shah thinks cyber insurance should be most companies’ first move in managing AI-era risk
- What happens when a single attacker can deploy a 10,000-agent ransomware swarm, and why that could force cybersecurity to become more machine-to-machine
- How Wiz’s founders paved the way for a new generation of startups, including Frame and Enigma
- Shah’s take on “pacing the frontier,” and why he thinks even a slowdown in model capability wouldn’t cool off cybersecurity investment
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Theresa Loconsolo is an audio producer at TechCrunch focusing on Equity, the network’s flagship podcast. Before joining TechCrunch in 2022, she was one of 2 producers at a four-station conglomerate where she wrote, recorded, voiced and edited content, and engineered live performances and interviews from guests like lovelytheband. Theresa is based in New Jersey and holds a bachelors degree in Communication from Monmouth University.
You can contact or verify outreach from Theresa by emailing theresa.loconsolo@techcrunch.com.
Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch where she covers the business, policy, and emerging trends shaping artificial intelligence. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, Bloomberg, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, and other publications.
You can contact or verify outreach from Rebecca by emailing rebecca.bellan@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at rebeccabellan.491 on Signal.