Ciphero, a New York, NY–based AI security startup, has emerged from stealth mode with $2.5 million in pre-Seed funding.
Investors
The round was co-led by Sovereign’s Capital and Chingona Ventures.
Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Atlanta, Sovereign’s Capital is a diversified alternative asset manager known for its “faith-driven” investment philosophy. Managing over $780 million in assets under management (AUM) as of 2024, the firm operates across five primary practice areas: venture capital, private equity, public equity, real estate, and fund of funds.
Based in Chicago, Chingona Ventures is an early-stage firm focused on the next generation of founders. The firm targets overlooked markets and founders with unique backgrounds, often women and minorities. Founded in 2019, the firm invests in the pre-seed and seed stages, with a focus on fintech, the future of work and learning, and health and wellness.
Ciphero Use of Funds
The company plans to use the funding to build and expand its AI-native verification platform.
About Ciphero
Founded in 2025 by Saoud Khalifah and Rob Gross, alongside Sen Tian, Ciphero is an AI security and verification platform focused on helping enterprises safely adopt artificial intelligence. The company is building an AI verification layer that captures, verifies, and governs all AI interactions across an organization, including both human and agentic usage. Its platform is designed to prevent data loss, mitigate attacks, and address risks associated with shadow AI, enabling ethical and secure AI use at scale. Headquartered in New York, Ciphero aims to empower organizations with a dynamic AI verification layer to secure all AI usage across workspaces.
Funding Details
Company: Ciphero
Raised: $2.5M
Round: Pre-Seed
Funding Date: December 2025
Lead Investors: Sovereign’s Capital, Chingona Ventures
Additional Investors:
Company Website: https://ciphero.ai/
Software Category: AI Security / Cybersecurity
Source: https://ciphero.ai/blog/ciphero-raises-2-5m-pre-seed