ORION Security Named SINET16 Honoree as Agentic Data Loss Prevention Emerges as a Board-Level Priority

ORION Security, a New York-based company building what it describes as an agentic data loss prevention (DLP) platform, has been named a 2026 SINET16 honoree, the company announced on Wednesday, September 23.

ORION was one of just 16 companies selected from 158 applicants across 10 countries, according to the company. The SINET16 honorees were chosen through a competitive process led by more than 100 industry experts, including chief information security officers from major enterprises.

In announcing this year’s honorees, SINET described them as the most promising early-stage and emerging cybersecurity companies shaping what comes next, according to ORION’s release.

What SINET does

SINET — the Security Innovation Network — connects chief information security officers, risk executives and investors with early-stage companies developing cybersecurity solutions. Its annual SINET16 innovator programme has become a closely watched signal of which emerging companies are attracting attention from security buyers and investors.

This year’s cohort, like recent ones, is heavily shaped by the security implications of artificial intelligence, which has become the dominant theme in cybersecurity investment and product development.

For startups, recognition carries practical value. Being selected by panels that include CISOs from large enterprises provides credibility with potential customers, while visibility among investors and government stakeholders can support fundraising and partnerships.

Rethinking data loss prevention

Data loss prevention is one of the oldest categories in enterprise security. Traditional DLP tools monitor data moving through email, endpoints, networks and cloud applications, using rules and patterns to detect and block the unauthorised transfer of sensitive information.

Those tools have long been criticised for generating large numbers of false positives and requiring extensive manual tuning. Rules that are too strict disrupt legitimate work; rules that are too loose let sensitive data slip through.

The rise of generative AI has intensified the challenge. Employees can paste confidential information into AI chatbots, AI agents can access and move data across systems, and sensitive content can be generated, summarised or transformed in ways that simple pattern matching struggles to detect.

ORION’s approach — described as agentic DLP — applies AI to the problem itself. Rather than relying solely on static rules, an agentic system can analyse context, understand what data is being moved and why, and make more nuanced decisions about whether an action represents a genuine risk.

Agentic approaches also promise to reduce the operational burden on security teams. Traditional DLP deployments often require analysts to review large volumes of alerts, many of them benign. Systems that can triage alerts, explain why an action looks risky and recommend or take proportionate responses could free scarce security talent for higher-value work.

The concept aligns with a broader shift in cybersecurity towards AI-assisted operations, in which machine intelligence handles routine detection and investigation while humans focus on judgement calls and response.

Backed by Norwest and IBM Ventures

ORION raised a $32 million Series A in February 2026, led by Norwest Venture Partners, with participation from IBM Ventures and existing investors, bringing its total funding to $38 million, according to the company.

The involvement of IBM Ventures is notable given IBM’s long history in enterprise security and data management. Strategic investors can open doors to large enterprise customers and partners, while providing insight into how security products are adopted inside complex organisations.

A $32 million Series A is substantial for a cybersecurity startup at that stage, reflecting investor confidence in both the company and the growing market for AI-era data security.

Why data security is a board-level issue

Data breaches and leaks have become major risks for companies worldwide, bringing regulatory penalties, legal liability, reputational damage and loss of competitive advantage. Regulations such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation and India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act have raised the stakes for companies that fail to protect personal data.

AI has added a new dimension. Boards and executives are asking how their organisations can adopt AI tools and agents without exposing confidential information, intellectual property or customer data. Security leaders need tools that allow AI adoption to proceed safely rather than blocking it outright.

Industry surveys point to the scale of concern. Okta has reported that 81% of CISOs worry about excessive AI access, according to Security Boulevard — a statistic that captures the anxiety driving demand for new approaches to data protection.

A competitive market

ORION faces competition from established DLP vendors, large security platforms adding AI-driven data protection and a growing number of startups focused on AI security. Differentiation will depend on accuracy, ease of deployment, integration with existing systems and the ability to protect data across the rapidly expanding range of AI tools and agents that enterprises use.

Recognition from SINET does not guarantee commercial success, but it signals that experienced security leaders see ORION’s approach as addressing a real and growing problem.

Relevance for Indian enterprises

For Indian companies, the rise of agentic DLP is relevant on several fronts. Indian enterprises are rapidly adopting generative AI while also preparing for compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. Global capability centres operating in India handle sensitive data for multinational companies, and IT services firms manage data on behalf of clients worldwide.

All of these organisations face growing pressure to demonstrate that data is protected as AI adoption accelerates. Tools that can apply context-aware protection across AI workflows are likely to be in demand across the Indian technology ecosystem.

The bottom line

ORION’s selection as a SINET16 honoree places it among a small group of emerging cybersecurity companies that experienced security buyers consider especially promising. Its focus on agentic data loss prevention reflects a broader shift: as AI transforms how data is created, accessed and moved, the tools that protect that data must become more intelligent too.

For a company that raised a $32 million Series A earlier this year, the recognition adds momentum as it seeks to convert industry attention into enterprise customers.

The next milestones will be customer wins among large enterprises, integrations with the AI platforms employees use every day and evidence that its approach reduces both data leakage and alert fatigue in real deployments.