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Microsoft CEO joins $40m round of US cybersecurity startup Outtake

A cybersecurity startup called Outtake has raised US$40 million in a funding round led by Iconiq, with participation from investors including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Palantir’s Shyam Sankar.

Founded in 2023 by former Palantir engineer Alex Dhillon, the company uses autonomous AI agents to detect and remove cyber threats such as phishing.

Outtake counts OpenAI and Pershing Square among its clients and reported a 6x increase in annual recurring revenue over the past year.

Its systems scanned 20 million potential cyberattacks last year.

The startup plans to use the new funds to expand its engineering and product teams, as it works toward building a “trust layer for the Internet.”

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Enterprise-readiness claims require deeper scrutiny

  • Customers like OpenAI and federal agencies were named, yet enterprise and government deals are often gated by security and compliance certifications.
  • Attestations like SOC 2 (System and Organization Controls 2), which provides independent validation of security controls, should be confirmed for Outtake 1.
  • Compliance posture is often spelled out in online “Trust Centers” (web pages that explain a company’s security and compliance practices) by enterprise software companies such as Anthropic and Zendesk, which helps earn customer confidence 2, 3.
  • Outtake’s compliance status should be verified to judge fit for regulated sectors and to back up claims of use by federal agencies.

A service opportunity opens for Microsoft and Google ecosystem partners

  • Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs, firms that run cybersecurity operations for customers) and System Integrators (SIs, consultants that implement and integrate enterprise software) can package services around Outtake’s AI agents that clear phishing threats.
  • Phishing often lands in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, so partners can tailor offers for that large installed base.
  • Possible work includes rollout support, ongoing agent monitoring, custom connectors, or marketplace listings.
  • Partners can stand out by selling an automated approach to threat cleanup rather than generic security coverage.

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