Okta is ramping up its efforts in the AI security arena. The company disclosed that it has agreed to acquire AI identity security startup Permiso Security to expand its security capabilities against AI agents and other machine identities. TechCrunch, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the deal is valued at slightly less than $200 million and is almost entirely paid in cash.
It is expected to be completed in the third quarter of fiscal year 2027.
Okta has not publicly disclosed the specific terms of the transaction, but has not refuted the valuation figures mentioned by TechCrunch. The company stated that the acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal year 2027, subject to customary closing conditions.
This transaction reflects a shift in the business focus of identity management vendors. Previously, these companies primarily handled login verification; now, enterprises are more concerned with what actions users, applications, and AI agents actually perform after authorization.
Permiso Steering Detection AI Agent
Permiso emerged publicly after ceasing covert operations in 2022, primarily developing cloud environment security monitoring tools to help security teams identify anomalous activity after gaining access. As enterprises accelerate the deployment of their own software, the company has recently expanded its platform capabilities to include AI agents and other non-human identities.
Founded by former FireEye executives Paul Nguyen and Jason Martin, Permiso focuses on identifying attacks that exploit stolen or compromised identities to move laterally within cloud infrastructure. In April of this year, the company also launched the SandyClaw platform, used to analyze AI agent skills in a sandbox environment to identify potential malicious behavior before formal deployment.
Okta enhances security for non-human identities
Okta's Chief Product Officer, Ely Kahn, stated that Permiso's identity threat detection and response capabilities, along with its threat research and security teams, will enhance Okta's capabilities in threat detection and prevention.
From an industry trend perspective, as enterprises embed AI more deeply into their daily operations, machine identity security is becoming a new competitive point in the identity management market. Okta's acquisition also signifies its desire to further expand beyond its core identity management business to cover non-human identity scenarios such as AI agents.
- Permiso has raised approximately $29 million in total funding.
- In April 2024, it completed an $18.5 million Series A funding round.
- Sources familiar with the matter said the post-investment valuation was approximately $80 million.
Additional information:TechCrunch, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that the deal was almost entirely paid in cash; an Okta spokesperson did not dispute the valuation figures but did not elaborate on the specific terms.
