Veteran founder leads AI security firm Horizon3 to double-unicorn status
Horizon3, an AI-driven cyber-attack simulation startup, secured a $250 million round that lifted its valuation above $2 billion.
After a 20-year career spanning IBM, GE Capital, Splunk and the US Joint Special Operations Command, Snehal Antani launched Horizon3 in 2019 with former Air Force veteran Anthony Pillitiere. The startup offers AI-based simulations that expose corporate cyber-vulnerabilities before real attackers strike. When the tech funding environment tightened and Silicon Valley Bank failed, Horizon3 trimmed about $3 million in expenses and redirected the savings into sales and marketing, driving revenue to grow nearly five times year over year.
In early 2024 the firm raised $250 million in a round led by NightDragon and NEA, raising its valuation past $2 billion and earning the rare double-unicorn label. Horizon3 now serves roughly 7,000 customers worldwide with a staff of 550, many drawn from intelligence, special-operations and enterprise-software backgrounds.
Why it matters
The story shows how seasoned leadership and strategic pivots can turn a cybersecurity startup into a billion-dollar company amid market turbulence.
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