Investing in Knox

Each year, the U.S. government spends over $100 billion on software, but can only buy from a fraction of the market. Government agencies can only pick from around ~400 approved applications compared to over 30,000 private-sector applications. 

This restriction is because of FedRAMP. FedRAMP was created in 2011 and was meant to be a standardized approach to security assessment and authorization for cloud service offerings. But the way to become a FedRAMP-certified platform is a labyrinth. It takes companies on average three years, millions of dollars upfront, and a grueling annual maintenance cost. This leaves government agencies locked into outdated tools and vendors, while the best technology is kept out of reach. 

A recent executive order aimed at reducing government-built software has made it a priority for agencies to buy commercial off-the-shelf solutions (COTS) instead of building custom ones. For the government, we’re at the start of a golden age of software.

Knox exists to connect government agencies to the modern technology they need. Recent policy tailwinds, such as the DoD’s push favoring COTS and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) for faster acquisition, signal a sustained shift toward formally embracing commercial solutions.

Knox helps companies get their products FedRAMP-certified. They dramatically reduce the time, cost, and complexity of selling software to the government. Companies can deploy their applications into Knox’s secure federal cloud boundary and get certified in 90 days or less, not the years it takes through the current process.

The platform includes AI-powered compliance monitoring, multi-cloud infrastructure support, and seamless management across security frameworks like DISA, HITRUST, and FISMA.

Knox is already trusted by partners like Anthropic, Adobe, Drata, Mistral, Wiz, Class.com, and others. And this is just the beginning: recent U.S. policy updates now permit LLMs to interface with sensitive government data, representing a huge new market for AI tools in the public sector. 

We’re honored to lead Knox’s seed round and work with this impressive team. CEO Irina Denisenko previously co-founded Class.com; CTO CJ Johnson, along with the core technical team (which includes ex-Palantir members), has deep experience in building secure, compliant infrastructure. Together, they’ve built the largest cross-cloud federal boundary in existence.

For too long, government employees have been shut out of using the latest technology. Now, with Knox, they will have a secure and confident way to access it. 

If you’re building an application and want to make it available to the government, Knox is the partner you need.