Index's Shah: Human Security Can't Outpace AI Agents — SkimNews
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- Shardul Shah, a partner at Index Ventures who has spent nearly two decades investing in cybersecurity and enterprise software, argues on TechCrunch's Equity podcast that periodic, human-in-the-loop security "can't keep up anymore" with AI agents
- Cybersecurity stocks are rising as concern over AI safety and rogue agents dominates headlines, with investors channeling "massive amounts of capital" into startups building security for an AI-native world
- Instinct and Simile are among the AI-native security startups landing nine-figure checks at valuations that "wouldn't have made sense a few years ago," per Shah
- Index Ventures has invested in six consecutive rounds of cloud security startup Wiz, which Google acquired for $32 billion earlier this year in one of its largest-ever deals
- Rebecca Bellan hosts the Equity episode, where Shah explains why Index continues backing AI-native security companies at stages that once required much more proof
Why it matters: Index's track record — six straight Wiz rounds culminating in a $32B Google exit — gives weight to Shah's claim that the venture model for cybersecurity has shifted: firms are now writing nine-figure checks at stages that previously demanded more traction, treating AI-native defense as urgent rather than speculative. For CISOs and security buyers, that capital flood means the vendor map is being redrawn around companies built for agentic threats rather than human-speed attack cycles.
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