AI-based security startup P0 has successfully secured $6.5 million in a seed funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with additional support from Alchemy Ventures. The investment marks P0’s emergence from stealth mode, shining a light on its innovative approach to software testing and reliability.

Co-founded by Kunal Agarwal and Prakash Sanker, P0 functions as a developer’s assistant, employing Large Language Models (LLMs) to meticulously identify safety and security concerns in software code. The startup takes a comprehensive approach, thoroughly examining the code to discover potential problems or vulnerabilities. P0 then rigorously tests the code using unique inputs generated based on the context of the code itself.

P0’s unique proposition lies in its integration of two traditionally separate testing methods: the “black box” approach, employing external security solutions or white-hat hackers, and the method of internal developers familiar with the system conducting the testing. By combining these approaches through LLMs, P0 can understand systems by scanning code, posing sophisticated challenges to software, and flagging latent vulnerabilities.

The term “p0” in tech language denotes a nuclear-level event capable of crashing a platform. P0 addresses this critical issue by assisting tech teams in finding and eliminating these events during the code-writing process, a concern expressed by approximately 71% of software engineers regarding software reliability in their workplaces.

Prakash Sanker, Co-Founder and CTO of P0, emphasizes the company’s mission to prevent catastrophic software failures with real-world consequences, stating, “Leveraging AI, we can go further than traditional software reliability and security tools to ensure society sees the benefits of technology with less risk.”

Kunal Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO of P0, echoes this sentiment, expressing the company’s dedication to building a robust team and product focused on safeguarding clients and users from the impact of software vulnerabilities and reliability bugs.

The recently secured funding will be strategically utilized for further product development, expanding user adoption, and scaling the team. Hemant Mohapatra, Partner at Lightspeed, recognizes the potential of P0’s cutting-edge approach, stating, “P0’s cutting-edge approach to code and API security is unique and amongst the first-ever truly LLM-native ways of solving this age-old and ever-evolving problem.”

As software complexity and prevalence continue to grow, P0’s commitment to robust testing and reliability checks positions it at the forefront of ensuring the benefits of technology without compromising safety and security.