# Horizon3 hits $2 billion valuation with $250M Series E as AI threats escalate

> Cybersecurity company Horizon3 has raised a $250 million Series E led by returning investors NightDragon and NEA, landing a $2 billion valuation that more than triples its worth from just 14 months ago. The round rides a surge in demand for security tools built for an era of AI-accelerated attacks. The growth numbers back up the price. Horizon3 says it is approaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue, growing 120% year over year, and has run more than 310,000 production security tests with zero reported disruptions across roughly 7,200 customers. Its core idea is autonomous penetration testing, software that continuously probes a company's own systems the way an attacker would, rather than relying on occasional manual audits. As both defenders and adversaries lean harder on automation, investors are betting that continuous, machine-speed testing becomes a standard line item rather than a luxury.

_Section: [AI Funding Tracker](https://www.wortins.com/funding) · Source: TechCrunch · Published Friday, August 7, 2026_

## Wortins' read

Cybersecurity company Horizon3 has raised a $250 million Series E led by returning investors NightDragon and NEA, landing a $2 billion valuation that more than triples its worth from just 14 months ago. The round rides a surge in demand for security tools built for an era of AI-accelerated attacks. The growth numbers back up the price. Horizon3 says it is approaching $100 million in annual recurring revenue, growing 120% year over year, and has run more than 310,000 production security tests with zero reported disruptions across roughly 7,200 customers. Its core idea is autonomous penetration testing, software that continuously probes a company's own systems the way an attacker would, rather than relying on occasional manual audits. As both defenders and adversaries lean harder on automation, investors are betting that continuous, machine-speed testing becomes a standard line item rather than a luxury.

## Source

[Read the full story at TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/03/horizon3-hits-2-billion-valuation-with-250m-series-e-as-ai-threats-escalate/)

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