Cisco in Advanced Talks to Acquire AI Agent Security Startup Astrix for $250M

Quick Facts

• Cisco is in advanced negotiations to acquire Astrix Security for $250-350 million
• Astrix specializes in securing AI agents and non-human identities across cloud environments
• The Tel Aviv startup has raised $91 million and generated $25.1 million in revenue in 2025

Cisco Systems is in advanced negotiations to acquire AI agent security startup Astrix Security for between $250 million and $350 million, according to a report from The Information.

The deal would strengthen Cisco’s cybersecurity portfolio as enterprises grapple with securing AI agents that operate without human oversight. Astrix Security, founded in 2021 and based in Tel Aviv, specializes in protecting non-human identities across cloud environments.

The startup has raised $91 million in funding from investors including Menlo Ventures, Workday Ventures, and CRV. Astrix generated $25.1 million in revenue in September 2025 and employs 122 people.

The AI Agent Security Gap

Astrix addresses a critical security challenge as AI agents proliferate in enterprise environments. The company provides a platform that inventories AI agents, MCP servers, and non-human identities while assessing their risk and business usage.

“Shadow AI agents are not a theoretical problem,” said Idan Gour, President and Co-Founder of Astrix Security. “Before security knows an agent exists, it already has access to sensitive data and production operations with no owner on record.”

Research shows agents and non-human identities outnumber humans 100 to 1, yet they often operate outside traditional identity and access management systems. One in four organizations is already investing in non-human identity security.

Cisco’s AI Infrastructure Push

The acquisition aligns with Cisco’s broader transformation into an AI infrastructure company. CEO Jeetu Patel has identified AI agent security as critical for enterprise adoption.

“In the age of AI, safety and security are pre-requisites for adoption, and AI agents bring a whole new set of challenges,” Patel said. “As agents take on critical enterprise roles, we’re developing protections that work both ways.”

Cisco expects its AI infrastructure business to generate roughly $3 billion in revenue in 2026. The company has increased its market share in SASE architectures by 20% since 2023, according to Dell’Oro Group.

The Astrix deal would be significantly smaller than Cisco’s $28 billion acquisition of Splunk in 2023 but strategically important for AI security capabilities. Acquisitions have constituted 50% of Cisco’s business activity following its first major purchase.

Gartner has identified identity and access management for AI agents as a key barrier preventing agentic AI deployments from reaching enterprise scale, reinforcing the market need Astrix addresses.

Read more: Report: Cisco could acquire AI agent security startup Astrix Security for $250M+