Pluto Security raises $42M to help companies manage AI tool risks

In short: Pluto Security raised $42 million to help companies spot and reduce security risks caused by employees using AI tools in unexpected ways.

What happened

Pluto Security says companies are adopting new AI tools very fast, sometimes within two hours of a tool being released. That speed can create security problems, because people across a business, not just software engineers, can quickly start building or connecting new AI-powered apps.

The company told TechCrunch that about 60% of the risks it finds come from tools created by non-developers, often in finance, marketing, and legal teams. Pluto gave one example of a finance employee at a Fortune 500 company building an app to manage customer information, and leaving it exposed to the internet.

Pluto has been selling since April and says it has crossed $2 million in annual recurring revenue, with more than 30 enterprise customers, including Oscar Health, Workato, Sixt, and AlphaSense. The new funding includes an $8.5 million seed round led by TLV Partners and a $34 million Series A led by Jump Capital.

Pluto’s software monitors what AI tools and add-ons employees use, and what AI “agents” do. An agent is software that can take actions for you (like a helper that can click buttons and move data). Pluto says it can step in while an agent is working, for example by stopping an action or asking the user to confirm.

Why it matters

More companies want the productivity benefits of AI, but wider access can also create new weak spots. Tools like Pluto aim to act like a security guard at the door, letting work continue while watching for risky behavior.

Source: TechCrunch AI