Astra Security
Overview
Astra Security is a cybersecurity company founded in 2018 by Shikhil Sharma and Ananda Krishna. Based in New Delhi, India, the company specializes in continuous penetration testing solutions powered by artificial intelligence. Astra Security has successfully raised $2.7 million in its latest funding round led by Emergent Ventures, alongside other investors such as Neon Fund, Better Capital, Blume Ventures, and PointOne Capital. The company provides services to over 800 clients globally, including enterprises like ITC, Mamaearth, and the University of Cambridge.
Recent Developments
- February 2025: Astra Security closed a $2.7 million growth capital round, led by Emergent Ventures. The funding aims to enhance AI-powered pentesting solutions, which simulate hacker behavior to uncover vulnerabilities, particularly in cloud environments.
- 2024: The company's platform detected over 13,000 vulnerabilities globally, helping prioritize the remediation of two million vulnerabilities.
- 2023: Astra Security helped its customers save over $69 million by proactively addressing security vulnerabilities.
- 2023: The company's AI-driven techniques enabled the discovery of approximately 5,500 vulnerabilities per day for its clients.
Astra Security continues to expand its focus on continuous AI-based pentesting to combat the complex landscape of AI-powered cyber threats. The recent funding round is intended to deepen its capabilities in AI integration and cloud security solutions, which are becoming increasingly essential as the cybercrime landscape evolves.
Company Information
| Attribute | Information |
|---|---|
| Founding Date | 2018 |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Founders | Shikhil Sharma, Ananda Krishna |
| Revenue | Not Disclosed |
| Profits | Not Disclosed |
| Key Investors | Emergent Ventures, Neon Fund, Better Capital, Blume Ventures, PointOne Capital |
| Industry | Cybersecurity |
| Number of Employees | Not Disclosed |
Early History
Astra Security was co-founded by Shikhil Sharma and Ananda Krishna in 2018. Both founders have rich backgrounds in cybersecurity, with prior experience helping large corporations such as Microsoft and Yahoo identify critical vulnerabilities. The company was initially incubated with seed funding of $120k from Techstars and others. From its early days, Astra Security sought to provide scalable cybersecurity solutions that could evolve with the ever-changing threat landscape, focusing primarily on continuous penetration testing.
Company Profile and Achievements
- Astra Security leverages AI to simulate hacker tactics, providing businesses with tools to proactively discover and mitigate vulnerabilities.
- The firm's penetration testing as a service (PTaaS) platform, which includes dynamic application security testing (DAST) and API Security, identifies over 13,000 vulnerabilities.
- Astra Security's AI-based platforms lead not only in detection but also support the implementation of continuous integrations and delivery pipelines (CI/CD), thus promoting the DevSecOps framework.
- Significant clients include Loom, HackerRank, ITC, OLX Autos, Mamaearth, Muthoot Finance, and Prime Healthcare.
- Recognized for employing a business model that prioritizes automated testing complemented with expert oversight, Astra Security's influence continues to grow, particularly among mid-sized to large enterprises.
Current Operations and Market Position
Today, Astra Security operates globally, serving a rapidly expanding client base across 70 countries. The platform continually mimics hacker behaviors, enabling applications to be tested rigorously for potential vulnerabilities. Leveraging AI, Astra Security positions itself as a proactive partner for businesses aiming to transition seamlessly from traditional DevOps to DevSecOps practices. By adopting an AI-first approach to cybersecurity, Astra keeps pace with evolving cyber threats, ensuring clients maintain robust defense mechanisms.