Dawnguard Raises €2.8M for AI Security Automation

Amsterdam-based cybersecurity innovator Dawnguard has successfully closed a €2.8 million pre-Seed funding round, bolstering its mission to embed security directly into the architecture of cloud-native systems. The investment, which brings the company's total pre-Seed capital to over €5.5 million, saw participation from existing backer BNVT Capital (UK), alongside new strategic investors Curiosity VC (Netherlands) and eCAPITAL (Germany). This infusion of capital arrives as Dawnguard publicly launches its platform, transitioning from enterprise design partnerships to general availability.

The funding underscores a significant trend in the cybersecurity sector towards proactive, design-centric security solutions. Dawnguard's approach tackles the inherent vulnerabilities arising from traditional security models, which often treat security as an add-on rather than a foundational element. "Cybersecurity has become trapped in an endless cycle of detection, response, and patching," stated Mahdi Abdulrazak, CEO and co-founder. "For twenty years, security was something you added later. That model was already fragile. Today, against an attacker running at machine speed, it becomes increasingly indefensible." The company emphasizes that robust security must be engineered from inception, especially as AI accelerates software development cycles.

Dawnguard's platform is built on an AI-native architecture designed to automate the translation of secure design principles into deployable infrastructure. This ensures that systems align with their intended security posture from the outset and remain compliant throughout their lifecycle. "Every engineering team understands the gap between what was designed and what ultimately gets deployed," added Kim van Lavieren, CTO and co-founder. "That gap is where risk lives. Dawnguard closes the distance between intent and reality by turning architecture into enforceable code, continuously validating that systems remain aligned with their original security design." The platform generates production-ready Infrastructure as Code and continuously monitors cloud environments against approved security blueprints.

This funding round aligns with a robust European investment climate for cybersecurity automation and AI-driven security tools. Recent comparable deals include Cloudsmith's €61.5 million Series C for AI-driven software supply-chain security, Geordie AI's €25 million Series A for AI-agent governance, and NeuralTrust's €17.2 million Seed round for enterprise AI-agent security. In the Netherlands specifically, Duna raised €30 million for AI-native business identity solutions, highlighting investor appetite for foundational digital trust infrastructure. Collectively, these adjacent 2026 rounds represent substantial capital deployment, signaling a market shift towards preventative security measures.

The company's founders, Mahdi Abdulrazak and Kim van Lavieren, bring extensive experience from major technology firms like IBM, Microsoft, and Amazon, as well as military cyber operations. This background informs Dawnguard's strategic focus on building resilience into systems before they enter production, a critical need as AI-assisted engineering introduces greater complexity and speed into software development. The startup is also expanding its international presence with the opening of a new office in New York City.

Dawnguard's innovative approach addresses the growing challenge faced by modern software teams. As AI tools accelerate the design, coding, and deployment of software, security teams grapple with increasingly dynamic and complex systems, often influenced by AI-generated code. Traditional security tools, which typically operate reactively, struggle to keep pace. Breaches frequently stem from architectural flaws and insecure configurations that are difficult to rectify post-deployment, making Dawnguard's proactive, code-driven security model a timely and valuable solution in the current threat environment.