Aembit Secures $25 Million to Revolutionize Non-Human Identity Management

September 13, 2024, 9:34 pm
Okta Ventures
Okta Ventures
Location: United States, California, San Francisco
Employees: 5001-10000
Founded date: 2009
Aembit
Aembit
AppCloudDeliveryDevelopmentDevOpsLearnManagementPlatformSecurityService
Location: United States, New York, Town of Maryland
Employees: 1-10
Founded date: 2021
Total raised: $41.6M
In a world where digital threats lurk like shadows, Aembit has emerged as a beacon of hope. The Silver Spring, Maryland-based company recently announced a significant milestone: a $25 million Series A funding round. This infusion of capital aims to bolster its innovative non-human identity and access management (IAM) solutions.

Founded in 2021, Aembit is on a mission to tackle the complex challenges posed by non-human identities—those digital entities like applications, scripts, and bots that operate within the vast landscapes of cloud services and data centers. As organizations increasingly rely on these non-human identities to automate operations, the risks associated with their management have skyrocketed.

The recent funding round was led by Acrew Capital, with participation from notable investors such as Ballistic Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures, Okta Ventures, and CrowdStrike Falcon Fund. This financial backing brings Aembit’s total capital raised to nearly $45 million, underscoring the growing confidence in its vision and technology.

The urgency for Aembit’s solutions is palpable. High-profile attacks on organizations like Cloudflare, The New York Times, and Microsoft have exposed vulnerabilities linked to non-human identities. These incidents often involve the compromise of sensitive credentials, such as API keys and access tokens, which serve as gateways to critical data and infrastructure.

Aembit’s recent survey of security professionals reveals a troubling reality: over 30% of organizations still store non-human identity credentials in code, while 23% resort to sharing them via email and chat. This fragmented approach leaves businesses vulnerable, with more than 60% of respondents expressing a desperate need for a comprehensive solution.

The company’s Workload IAM Platform is designed to address these challenges head-on. It enforces secure access between non-human workloads and the services that authorize access to sensitive resources. Aembit’s policy engine facilitates secretless access, granting permissions based on the workload’s identity and posture. This proactive approach aims to shrink the attack surface associated with non-human identities, moving beyond mere reactive measures.

Aembit’s strategy is not just about visibility; it’s about empowerment. By leveraging native identities and sophisticated automation, organizations can eliminate the need to store sensitive secrets within applications or vaults. Instead, they can transition to short-lived access tokens, adopting a no-code authentication approach. This shift not only enhances security but also streamlines operations for security, engineering, and DevSecOps teams.

The founders of Aembit, David Goldschlag and Kevin Sapp, bring a wealth of experience to the table. Their previous venture, New Edge Labs, was one of the pioneers in user zero trust products, acquired by Netskope. Their vision for Aembit is clear: to secure access between non-human workloads and applications using the same principles that govern human access.

The company’s innovative approach has not gone unnoticed. Aembit was recently recognized as a Top 2 finalist in the prestigious 2024 RSA Innovation Sandbox competition and is a finalist for Best Identity Management Solution at the 2024 SC Awards. These accolades reflect the industry’s recognition of the pressing need for effective non-human IAM solutions.

As the digital landscape evolves, so too do the threats. The shift to cloud computing, SaaS, and AI has led to an explosion of non-human identities. Legacy access management systems, designed for a different era, struggle to keep pace. Aembit’s solutions are tailored for this new reality, offering a critical first line of defense for protecting sensitive data.

Mark Kraynak, a founding partner at Acrew Capital, emphasizes the importance of Aembit’s mission. The proliferation of microservices and APIs across diverse environments necessitates a new approach to IAM—one that is automated, identity-driven, and capable of scaling to meet the demands of modern enterprises.

In a world where data breaches can spell disaster, Aembit stands ready to lead the charge. Its innovative platform not only addresses the immediate challenges posed by non-human identities but also lays the groundwork for a more secure digital future.

As organizations grapple with the complexities of identity management, Aembit offers a lifeline. By focusing on proactive security measures and automation, the company is poised to transform the landscape of non-human identity management.

In conclusion, Aembit’s recent funding round is more than just a financial boost; it’s a signal of the growing recognition of the importance of non-human IAM. As the digital world continues to expand, Aembit is committed to ensuring that organizations can navigate this landscape safely and securely. The future of identity management is here, and Aembit is leading the way.