Dawnguard
Summary active Updated Jul 4, 2026This profile is AI-generated. If you spot an error, please help us fix it by sharing a URL to the correct information.
Founders
About
Dawnguard is an Amsterdam-based cybersecurity startup that is building an AI-native platform for security architecture automation, helping organisations design, build, and continuously validate secure cloud-native systems from the earliest stages of development 123. The platform turns secure architecture into deployable infrastructure — validating designs before deployment, generating production-ready Infrastructure as Code, and continuously checking that live cloud environments remain aligned with the approved security design 12. Co-founded in 2025 by CEO Mahdi Abdulrazak and CTO Kim van Lavieren, whose backgrounds span IBM, Microsoft, Amazon, and military cyber operations, the company took its platform to general availability alongside the July 2026 funding announcement and opened a New York City office to support US expansion 123.
Disclaimer: This is a lean profile built from initial round coverage and may be expanded as more information becomes available.
Funding History
| Date | Round | Amount | Lead | Co-investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-07-01 | Pre-Seed extension | $3.3M (~€2.8M) | BNVT Capital (existing) | Curiosity VC, eCAPITAL 123 |
| 2025-07 | Pre-Seed | €2.6M (~$3M) | 9900 Capital | Angel investors including Dimitri van Zantvliet (Dutch Railways CISO) 4 |
What Investors Say
No independently sourced investor quotes from the July 2026 round found beyond funding announcement coverage.
What Founders Say
“Cybersecurity has become trapped in an endless cycle of detection, response, and patching. Today, against an attacker running at machine speed, it becomes increasingly indefensible.” — Mahdi Abdulrazak, Co-Founder & CEO, Dawnguard, July 1, 2026 1
“That gap is where risk lives. Dawnguard closes the distance between intent and reality by turning architecture into enforceable code, continuously validating that systems remain aligned with their original security design.” — Kim van Lavieren, Co-Founder & CTO, Dawnguard, July 1, 2026 1
Sources
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Yahoo Finance (syndicated), “Dawnguard launches platform to build secure cloud systems from day zero, with fresh funding and US office,” July 1, 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/dawnguard-launches-platform-build-secure-112000202.html↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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SecurityWeek, “Dawnguard Raises $6.3 Million for Security Architecture Automation Platform,” July 1, 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://www.securityweek.com/dawnguard-raises-6-3-million-for-security-architecture-automation-platform/↩↩↩↩↩
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EU-Startups, “Dutch cybersecurity startup Dawnguard lands €2.8 million for AI-native security architecture automation,” July 1, 2026. Accessed July 2026. https://www.eu-startups.com/2026/07/dutch-cybersecurity-startup-dawnguard-lands-e2-8-million-for-ai-native-security-architecture-automation/↩↩↩
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Silicon Canals, “Dutch-based Dawnguard emerges from stealth with €2.6M,” July 31, 2025. Accessed July 2026. https://siliconcanals.com/dawnguard-emerges-from-stealth-with-e2-6m/↩