In an period the place AI-powered cyber threats are evolving quicker than ever, conventional safety coaching approaches have did not adequately shield organizations, leaving staff susceptible to more and more refined assaults. The safety consciousness coaching market has lengthy been dominated by outdated movies and quizzes that hardly ever translate into significant conduct change, leading to pricey breaches and protracted vulnerabilities. Anagram is revolutionizing this panorama because the world’s first human-driven safety platform designed to embed safety into on a regular basis conduct. By personalized microlearning (the longest video is 87 seconds) mixed with real-time safety nudges, the platform delivers measurable conduct change, turning workforces into proactive protection techniques towards cyber threats. With implementations throughout Fortune 500 firms and reaching over 500,000 world customers, Anagram has demonstrated vital impression, decreasing phishing failure charges from roughly 20% to only 6%.
AlleyWatch sat down with Anagram CEO and Founder Harley Sugarman to be taught extra concerning the enterprise, its modern method to cybersecurity coaching, and up to date funding.
Who have been your buyers and the way a lot did you elevate?
$10M Sequence A led by Madrona with participation from Basic Catalyst, Bloomberg Beta, Operator Companions, and Safe Octane.
Inform us concerning the services or products that Anagram provides.
Anagram is the world’s first human-driven safety platform that delivers actual outcomes. We transcend conventional strategies—like outdated movies and quizzes—by providing phishing simulations and interactive, customizable coaching designed to have interaction and educate staff. Our hands-on studying method and immersive puzzles guarantee lasting conduct change, turning your workforce right into a proactive line of protection towards cyber threats.
What impressed the beginning of Anagram?
After years of interviewing quite a few CISOs, I acknowledged a spot within the cybersecurity coaching trade—there was a transparent want for a paradigm shift in how coaching was approached.
How is Anagram completely different?
By mixing personalized microlearning with real-time safety nudges, the platform drives measurable conduct change and reinforces good safety habits. Anagram stands out by providing distinctive puzzles and coaching that transcend the office, influencing every day behaviors and positively impacting each skilled and private lives.
What market does Anagram goal and the way huge is it? What’s your corporation mannequin?
Anagram is concentrating on the safety consciousness and human danger administration market, which is a multi-billion-dollar trade and rising quick as firms understand conventional coaching isn’t working.
With AI-driven phishing assaults and social engineering threats rising, CISOs are actively in search of options that really change worker conduct, as a substitute of simply checking a compliance field. Our major prospects are bigger enterprise firms (suppose: Disney, Pfizer, and so forth.), and we’re significantly centered on extremely regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and know-how, the place safety is a prime precedence.
Our enterprise mannequin is SaaS, with firms subscribing to our platform on an annual foundation. Pricing scales primarily based on the variety of customers and the extent of customization and integrations wanted. We additionally provide premium options like AI-powered safety nudges, which assist firms constantly reinforce safe conduct in real-time.
How are you making ready for a possible financial slowdown?
We’ve been centered on constructing a enterprise that’s capital-efficient from day one. One of many advantages of our sector is that safety isn’t a “good to have”—it’s a necessity, particularly as AI-powered threats develop. That mentioned, we’re staying disciplined with hiring, prioritizing product options that drive actual impression, and aligning the corporate (together with engineering, design, advertising, and gross sales) round two key metrics: progress and retention.
What was the funding course of like?
We managed to get by way of the funding course of comparatively shortly. We had sturdy early traction and a few unimaginable logos, which helped, however we have been additionally very intentional about eager to discover a lead with a shared imaginative and prescient round what Human-Pushed Safety may very well be. Madrona stood out from the beginning — not simply due to their deep expertise in safety and AI, however as a result of they understood that safety consciousness isn’t a compliance problem, it’s a behavioral one. As a substitute of specializing in completion charges, we spent our time speaking about conduct change and the way we may truly cut back human danger. Their conviction in our method made them the proper accomplice to guide this spherical.
What are the most important challenges that you just confronted whereas elevating capital?
One of many greatest challenges was convincing buyers that safety consciousness isn’t only a checkbox—it’s a solvable drawback. After we spoke to CISOs, we saved listening to that staff are the weakest hyperlink. However what actually stood out was the hopelessness of their voices. They noticed human danger as an unsolvable drawback, one thing they simply needed to dwell with. Buyers had heard this narrative earlier than, and plenty of have been skeptical {that a} new method may truly change conduct.
What components about your corporation led your buyers to put in writing the examine?
Our job was to show that Anagram isn’t simply one other safety coaching device—it’s a essentially completely different method that works. Buyers noticed three key components that set us aside.
First, actual traction—we have been already working with Fortune 500 firms and reaching over 500K staff.
Second, measurable impression—we may present a transparent discount in safety incidents, proving that our method truly modifications conduct.
Third, a large, underserved market—CISOs know that conventional consciousness coaching is failing, and our platform provided an answer that really made safety stick.
What are the milestones you intend to realize within the subsequent six months?
Over the subsequent six months, Anagram will proceed advancing its AI-driven personalization engine to ship much more focused, efficient coaching. The corporate can also be gearing as much as launch its first AI-powered safety agent, which offers context-aware, real-time nudges—assembly staff the place they’re and serving to them make smarter safety choices within the second.
Over the subsequent six months, Anagram will proceed advancing its AI-driven personalization engine to ship much more focused, efficient coaching. The corporate can also be gearing as much as launch its first AI-powered safety agent, which offers context-aware, real-time nudges—assembly staff the place they’re and serving to them make smarter safety choices within the second.
What recommendation are you able to provide firms in New York that don’t have a contemporary injection of capital within the financial institution?
Deal with what really strikes the needle. In a market like this, effectivity issues greater than ever—each greenback and each rent must be driving actual impression. Prioritize buyer retention and revenue-generating initiatives over nice-to-haves. If one thing doesn’t straight contribute to progress or product stickiness, it may wait.
Additionally, don’t underestimate the ability of relationships. Whether or not it’s securing partnerships, touchdown key prospects, or getting heat investor intros for the longer term, a powerful community can open doorways that capital alone gained’t. Keep scrappy, keep centered, and maintain constructing one thing that prospects can’t afford to dwell with out.
The place do you see the corporate going within the close to time period?
Over the subsequent six months, Anagram will proceed advancing its AI-driven personalization engine to ship much more focused, efficient coaching. The corporate can also be gearing as much as launch its first AI-powered safety agent, which offers context-aware, real-time nudges—assembly staff the place they’re and serving to them make smarter safety choices within the second.
What’s your favourite restaurant within the metropolis?
Mr Chow on 57th Avenue.
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