As artificial intelligence integrates into all machines around us capable of making independent decisions, there is a risk of causing harm to people if these devices are hacked. In this regard, Exein has raised $270 million to develop a new type of protection for AI.
Exein announced the raising of $270 million, which boosted its valuation to $1.7 billion on September 15. This made the company the most valuable cybersecurity startup in Europe.
Leading investors participated in the round, including Goldman Sachs, Sofina, the European Investment Bank, KfW Capital, and T.Capital. Existing investors Balderton and Lakestar also added additional funds to their previous investments. The round was oversubscribed, meaning there were more interested parties than anticipated.
In addition to increasing equity capital, Exein expanded its credit line with J.P. Morgan. The company's growth is inevitable: just two years ago, its value was significantly lower, and in the first half of 2026, revenue increased fourfold compared to the same period in 2025.
Previously, concerns focused on hacking websites or social media accounts, but now AI has acquired much greater significance for humanity. Such systems include factory robots, drone delivery vehicles, autonomous cars, and smart medical devices, which are classified as Physical AI—machines capable of independent thought.
The risks now extend beyond just data; a hacked robot can cause physical harm, and a malfunction in an autonomous vehicle can lead to an accident. Old cybersecurity tools designed to protect servers and laptops are not suitable for protecting real-world moving machines.
Exein specializes in creating security specifically for this type of Physical AI. Instead of protecting cloud accounts or logins, the company protects the code running inside these machines. Exein's technology is already used in over 2 billion connected devices.
Earlier this year, they implemented a system called Photon, which operates at the 'kernel level,' meaning the deepest part of the device's software. This system is designed to prevent an attack before it occurs, rather than mitigating its consequences. Such speed is critically important, for example, for an autonomous car that requires instantaneous reaction.
Exein describes its product as a kind of 'digital immune system' for everything connected to the internet. Furthermore, the company is developing its own AI model specifically designed to detect and stop attacks on these physical machines. Since people already trust AI-driven machines, the consequences of a hack become not just digital, but take on a physical nature.
This is precisely the problem Exein aims to solve. This funding round demonstrates the direction of cybersecurity development: protection must extend not only to cloud services but also to the streets, factories, and the airspace above us. Europe now has the most valuable cybersecurity company created specifically to protect machines that allow AI to interact with the real world.
