Protect AI
AI/ML security platform for model scanning, red teaming, and runtime protection; acquired by Palo Alto Networks in 2025.
Acquired — still operating
acquired by Palo Alto Networks
About
Protect AI, launched in 2022 in Seattle, built an end-to-end security platform for AI and machine learning applications: model scanning for supply-chain risk, security posture management, automated red teaming, runtime protection with malicious-prompt detection, and AI agent security. It raised $108.5M before Palo Alto Networks announced its acquisition in April 2025 for a reported $500-700M, completing the deal in July 2025.
The technology and team now form a cornerstone of Palo Alto Networks' Prisma AIRS platform, with CEO Ian Swanson joining as VP of product for Prisma AIRS. The standalone Protect AI product line is therefore a historical entry: new buyers should evaluate Prisma AIRS rather than the original product, and roadmap continuity for existing Protect AI customers sits inside Palo Alto's platformization strategy. Its significance is as the landmark acquisition that kicked off the AI-security M&A wave of 2025-2026.
What it can do
- ML model scanning for supply-chain vulnerabilities
- AI red teaming and posture management
- GenAI runtime security with prompt-injection detection
- AI agent security and runtime protection
- Full AI/ML lifecycle visibility from training to deployment
Setup
Historical entry: Protect AI is now part of Palo Alto Networks' Prisma AIRS platform; evaluate Prisma AIRS for equivalent capabilities.
Prerequisites
Enterprise AI/ML deployments requiring lifecycle security.
Use cases
Works with
Trust score — 8/10
Scored 8/10 (verified tier, metrics-v1). Evidence: Verified via vendor site/docs/GitHub and reputable coverage, wave 75; Trending score 80/100 from researcher assessment.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these sources. Where a claim comes from the provider and couldn't be independently verified, the text says so.