Aslan Protects, a Washington, D.C.-based defense technology and cyber intelligence startup, has raised $20.8 million in seed funding. The round was led by Khosla Ventures and XYZ Venture Capital, with participation from 2048 Ventures, BoxGroup, Liquid 2 and Alumni Ventures, among others. The company announced the financing as it emerged from stealth on September 1, 2026.
Founded in 2025 by Chase Reid and Ansel Tessier, Aslan develops technology for US national security, intelligence and law enforcement organizations. Reid serves as CEO, while Tessier is co-founder and CTO.
The company builds human-supervised AI operatives designed to work inside digital environments used by criminal networks and foreign adversaries. Its systems can operate across environments including underground forums and Telegram channels, supporting the collection and analysis of digital evidence. Aslan’s website identifies defense and intelligence, homeland security, transnational crime and illicit finance, and foreign influence among its target areas.
Aslan said its technology has been used to map a cross-border smuggling network, uncover a cyber-fraud marketplace that was evading sanctions, identify technology-transfer pathways involving US technology, and expose foreign recruitment efforts targeting US defense professionals. These examples are company-reported deployments.
The startup plans to use the new capital to expand its technical team, including forward-deployed engineers who can work with government agencies on specific missions. At the time of the announcement, Aslan had 10 employees and expected to nearly double its workforce by the end of October 2026.
Aslan previously announced a $2.4 million pre-seed financing in 2025, backed by investors including 2048 Ventures, BoxGroup, Alumni Ventures and Precursor Ventures.
