Italian cybersecurity startup Exein raised a $270 million funding round in September 2026, led by Headline, valuing the company at $1.7 billion. The round was significantly oversubscribed, and the valuation represents a thirty-fold increase since Exein’s Series B approximately two years ago.
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Rome, Exein focuses on embedded security for connected devices — an approach its CEO and founder, Gianni Cuozzo, summarizes as ensuring “every device should be able to defend itself, regardless if they are connected to a secure network or not.” The company’s latest product, Photon, is a runtime security solution that operates at the kernel level of a device. Exein says it has secured more than 2 billion connected devices across aerospace, industrial automation, automotive manufacturing, energy, healthcare, and semiconductor sectors.
The company’s growth is tied to the rise of physical AI — AI systems embedded in robots, drones, self-driving cars, sensors, and smart appliances. Exein says its security platform covers these devices using the same supply chain it has built with OEM and silicon vendor partners since its founding. Cuozzo noted that open-source AI models running without guardrails have made it easier and cheaper to target physical devices, contributing to an increase in what he calls “machine-speed attacks.” In response, Exein is developing a foundational model for physical AI security, trained on machine data and telemetrics, with a planned release in the first quarter of 2027.
Exein plans to use the new funding for acquisitions to expand its product portfolio and to hire staff supporting growth in the United States and Asia Pacific, a region that currently accounts for half of its revenue. The company reports 400% year-on-year growth.
The funding comes as the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act begins taking effect, with reporting obligations starting last week and full enforcement set for December 2027. The Act requires manufacturers to ensure digital products are protected against cyber threats, which could expand demand for Exein’s offerings.
Source: TechCrunch