Canadian AI company Cohere has signed a letter of intent to acquire AISLE, a San Francisco-based cybersecurity startup that uses artificial intelligence to identify software vulnerabilities. The proposed acquisition will expand Cohere’s cybersecurity capabilities as it builds its enterprise AI business.
The deal would add cybersecurity expertise to the business entity Cohere is assembling through its merger with Germany’s Aleph Alpha, a combination reportedly valued at approximately $20 billion. Additionally, AISLE’s engineering hub in Prague would strengthen Cohere’s European presence and support its efforts to advance AI capabilities across the region.
Cohere said the proposed acquisition reflects its continued investment in Europe and will deepen its regional footprint. Moreover, the transaction aims to enhance the combined group’s security and threat detection capabilities for enterprise and public sector clients. The group will also offer private deployment options, allowing customers to run solutions on their own systems.
“Increasingly capable AI systems are transforming both cybersecurity and the threats organizations face, and defensive capabilities must advance just as quickly,” Cohere said.
Founded in 2025, AISLE was established by Ondrej Vlcek, former CEO of Czech antivirus company Avast, alongside co-founders from Google DeepMind and Anthropic. The startup uses AI to identify vulnerabilities in widely used software.
During its first year, AISLE’s AI technology identified more than 500 new software bugs, including 12 vulnerabilities in OpenSSL, a free program that encrypts internet traffic used by banks, governments, and messaging applications. Developers subsequently fixed the vulnerabilities following their discovery.
The companies have not disclosed the financial terms of the proposed acquisition.
