Okta acquires AI security startup Permiso for about $200M

Okta agreed Thursday to acquire AI identity security startup Permiso Security, betting that demand for protecting AI agents and other machine identities will grow as enterprises deploy autonomous software across their operations. Okta did not disclose the terms of the transaction, but a source with knowledge of the deal told TechCrunch it is valued at just under $200 million and structured as an almost all-cash deal. A spokesperson for Okta did not dispute the $200 million figure when TechCrunch asked CEO Todd McKinnon for comment, though the company would not comment on the specifics of the deal terms. Okta said the deal is expected to close in the third quarter of its fiscal 2027, subject to customary closing conditions.

The acquisition comes as identity management companies look to expand beyond verifying users at login toward continuously monitoring what users, applications and AI agents do once they have authorized access to a network environment — a shift that has intensified competition to secure machine identities as enterprises embed AI deeper into everyday operations.

Permiso, which emerged from stealth in 2022, builds software that helps security teams spot suspicious activity in cloud environments after users or applications have already been granted access. More recently, the startup expanded its platform to monitor AI agents and other machine identities. Co-founded by former FireEye executives Paul Nguyen and Jason Martin, Permiso specializes in detecting attacks that use stolen or compromised identities to move through cloud infrastructure. In April, it also introduced SandyClaw, a platform designed to analyze AI agent skills in a sandboxed environment to spot malicious behavior before an agent is deployed.

The deal strengthens Okta’s push into securing AI agents and other non-human identities alongside its core identity management business. “Permiso will extend Okta’s identity security fabric with proven identity threat detection and response capabilities, and an incredible threat research and security team that will advance Okta’s threat detection and prevention capabilities,” Okta chief product officer Ely Kahn said in a prepared statement.

Permiso has raised about $29 million to date, including an $18.5 million Series A round in April 2024 led by Altimeter Capital. People familiar with the financing said the Series A valued the Palo Alto-based startup at about $80 million on a post-money basis.

Why it matters

The purchase extends Okta’s identity-security business beyond human logins into policing AI agents and other machine identities — a fast-growing attack surface as more enterprises hand autonomous software real network access.