AI Security Firm Ciphero Emerges From Stealth With $2.5 Million in Funding

Ciphero, a New York-based AI verification startup, has emerged from stealth with $2.5 million in a pre-seed funding round co-led by Sovereign’s Capital and Chingona Ventures, according to SecurityWeek. The company says its solution provides an AI verification layer designed to capture, check, and govern all AI interactions within an enterprise, helping to prevent data loss and attacks and to cover shadow AI for ethical and safe usage.

Ciphero was founded in 2025 by Saoud Khalifah and Rob Gross, who previously founded Fakespot, a firm acquired by Mozilla in 2023, with Khalifah and Gross serving as CEO and COO and Sen Tian as chief artificial intelligence officer. The funding round marks Ciphero’s move from stealth to market, as it seeks to address productivity gains from AI alongside the expanding attack surface for enterprises. Written by Ionut Arghire, the report notes the venture aims to support organisations adopting AI with greater confidence.