The potential deal comes as AI agent adoption accelerates, and as Cisco ramps up acquisitions tied to AI security and observability.
Cisco Systems is in “advanced talks” to acquire startup Astrix Security for its technology that monitors and secures AI agents for between $250 million and $350 million, according to a report first published by The Information.
Astrix Security, an Israeli startup founded in 2021, focuses on identity security in the age of AI agents. The company’s platform protects non-human identities across SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS environments, according to Astrix.
Cisco and Astrix did not respond to CRN’s request for comment on the reports of the potential purchase prior to publication.
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The deal talks come as the popularity of AI agents soars, sparking new security concerns for businesses of all sizes. The discussions are ongoing and the companies may not reach an agreement, according to the report.
The acquisition, if completed, would mark Cisco’s second planned deal of 2026. The tech giant last week announced plans to buy AI observability specialist Galileo Technologies Inc. to power up its Splunk Observability portfolio for an undisclosed sum.
At the end of 2025, Cisco made two AI-related acquisitions, snapping up enterprise AI platform startup NeuralFabric Corp. to strengthen its generative AI and data-sovereignty capabilities, followed a day later by real-time speech translation specialist EzDubs. The back-to-back deals underscored Cisco’s push to embed AI more deeply across its portfolio.
Astrix’s most recent Series B funding round in December 2024 raised $45 million led by Menlo Ventures, bringing the total to $85 million in total funding, according to Crunchbase.
