Dutch firm Dawnguard, which builds an AI-powered platform that embeds security into cloud architecture from day zero, has secured $3 million in pre-seed funding led by 9900 Capital.
- Founded in 2025 by Mahdi Abdulrazak and Kim van Lavieren, Dawnguard develops a security architecture automation platform designed for cloud-native environments.
- The company focuses on embedding cybersecurity into infrastructure design from the earliest stages of software development, rather than applying it after deployment.
- The platform allows engineering and security teams to collaboratively validate cloud infrastructure designs before deployment. It then automatically generates Infrastructure as Code (IaC) from those validated designs and continuously monitors and enforces security posture post-deployment to prevent configuration drift.
“Our industry treats security as a checkbox. It’s broken. We built Dawnguard because security needs to be part of the system’s DNA from the start, not an afterthought. This is about aligning intent with reality, and giving teams the tools to enforce that alignment at the earliest stage and long after deployment," CEO of Dawnguard, Mahdi Abdulrazak, commented.
- Dawnguard integrates multiple AI and machine learning engines across the IT lifecycle, from initial design through long-term operation, to identify architectural flaws early, adapt to changes in infrastructure, and maintain compliance and resilience standards over time.
Details of the deal
- The $3 million pre-seed round was led by London-based VC firm 9900 Capital, with participation from several angel investors.
"Hundreds of security tools overwhelm CISOs with promises of better detection, yet few tackle the root issue: design flaws in code that AI-driven threats exploit. As attacks grow smarter, defenses must shift left, embedding resilience at the codebase. We are excited to back Dawnguard, who build protection by design, not patch by necessity," claims Chris Corbishley, Managing Partner at 9900 Capital.
- With the $3 million funding, Dawnguard will expand its engineering team, enhance enterprise integrations, and broaden production use of its AI-driven security platform to support dynamic environments and improve security for GenAI-coded applications.