Runlayer, a groundbreaking startup specializing in Model Context Protocol (MCP) security, has just come out of stealth mode. The story of how they have gotten all the way to $11 million in seed funding. The investment was led by luminaries of the fabless semiconductor-focused venture capital industry, including Keith Rabois of Khosla Ventures and Felicis. Andrew Berman, known for his cutting-edge innovations in the technology industry, has established Runlayer. The security technology company has one core focus—providing an AI-native, all-in-one security tool built specifically for businesses that are evolving with AI.
Andrew Berman, the third-time founder, has a pretty amazing track record. He is the cofounder of baby monitoring company Nanit. He developed Vowel, a generative AI-based video conferencing tool that Zapier purchased in 2024. Following the acquisition, Berman was named Zapier’s Director of AI. There, he began to code one of the first MCP servers. His experience has uniquely positioned him to lead Runlayer in its mission to improve security protocols for AI applications.
Runlayer’s unique solution cuts the clutter in today’s security market. It replaces your gateway with an intelligent feature set that includes threat detection and observability. The startup’s threat detection system closely monitors ALL MCP requests to make sure any potential vulnerability is caught and patched ASAP. Runlayer’s observability feature proactively monitors and provides insight into all agentic activity happening on your MCP servers. IT departments facilitate access to this data, providing organizations with critical understanding of their operational security.
Enterprise development is one of the standout offerings from Runlayer, and their ability to develop on an enterprise level makes them unique. This feature allows IT teams to create custom AI automations for enterprise users, facilitating tailored solutions that meet specific organizational needs. Runlayer has granular permission settings that embed easily with IDP’s (identity providers) like Okta and Entra. This seamless integration ensures security management is simple and efficient for enterprise clients.
Their angel investor and advisor, David Soria Parra, is the creator of the most commonly used MCP specification. His participation further highlights the promise and legitimacy of the startup’s mission and its ability to disrupt the industry for the better. Travis McPeak, Fmr. head of security for Cursor, one of many prominent advisors and investors. Another important individual is Nikita Shamgunov, the founder of Neon.
In only four months since the official product launch in stealth mode, Runlayer have dozens of customers signed up. On this list are eight of those unicorns as well as public companies like Gusto, Rippling, dbt Labs, Instacart, Opendoor, and Ramp. This lightning-fast customer uptake is a testament to the need for powerful security solutions in this new AI-dominated ecosystem.
Andrew Berman though, is focused on realizing the potential of AI with the right tools for state- and local-level AI applications.
“But AI is really only as useful as the tools and the resources it has access to.” – Andrew Berman
Runlayer’s cutting-edge approach tackles these critical security concerns directly. The startup’s platform offers end-to-end security tools designed specifically for MCP environments. Their mission is to enable enterprises to realize the full promise of AI while maintaining the highest security and compliance standards.
“What are the problems that we saw with the protocol? One, it was the security risk because it was adopted so quickly.” – Andrew Berman
Runlayer is quickly growing its customer base and continuing to hone what it provides. With these improvements, it is positioned to continue making TSA a leader in the changing field of AI security. The startup’s commitment to delivering integrated solutions may well set a new standard for how organizations protect their digital assets in an increasingly complex technological environment.
As Runlayer continues to expand its customer base and refine its offerings, it is poised to become a key player in the evolving landscape of AI security. The startup’s commitment to delivering integrated solutions may well set a new standard for how organizations protect their digital assets in an increasingly complex technological environment.