Runlayer

Runlayer provides an all-in-one security platform designed to make the Model Context Protocol (MCP) enterprise-ready. The company emerged from stealth on November 17, 2025, with an $11 million seed funding round led by Khosla Ventures and Felicis. Its platform addresses the security vulnerabilities inherent in MCP, a protocol that has become the standard for enabling AI agents to connect with data and systems. Runlayer's solution integrates a gateway, threat detection, observability, and enterprise development tools, allowing organizations to adopt AI tools without compromising security.

The company was founded by Andrew Berman, a serial entrepreneur who previously co-founded Nanit and Vowel (which was acquired by Zapier). His experience as Director of AI at Zapier, where he built an early MCP server, revealed the security risks and lack of governance in the protocol, prompting him to establish Runlayer. The founding team includes Tal Peretz, who has a background in machine learning from the Israeli Air Force, and Vitor Balocco, a recognized MCP security expert. Runlayer has also enlisted David Soria Parra, the lead creator of MCP at Anthropic, as an advisor and angel investor.

Runlayer's business model targets enterprises looking to scale AI adoption securely. The platform functions as a command and control plane for MCPs, providing a centralized and secure registry for hosting and approving MCP servers. Key features include zero-trust security standards, custom threat detection, fine-grained permissions that integrate with identity providers like Okta and Entra, and comprehensive audit trails for compliance. This allows IT and security teams to have full visibility and control over AI agent activities while enabling developers to use AI to enhance productivity. Since its stealth launch, Runlayer has attracted clients such as Gusto, Instacart, dbt Labs, Opendoor, and Rippling.

Keywords: Model Context Protocol, MCP security, AI agent security, enterprise AI infrastructure, threat detection, access control, AI observability, zero trust AI, AI governance, Andrew Berman, Khosla Ventures, Felicis, AI agent management, enterprise security, data security, AI compliance, AI risk management, cloud security, API security