Aslan

Aslan Protects is a Washington, D.C.-based cyber intelligence and defense technology startup founded in 2025 by Chase Reid and Ansel T. The company develops a software platform that deploys autonomous, human-supervised AI operatives to infiltrate hostile digital environments. These AI agents are designed to operate at internet scale, establishing a persistent presence in illicit online spaces to map and counter threats from transnational criminal syndicates, hostile foreign actors, and other adversaries. The company's technology utilizes advanced natural language processing and localized behavioral models to move beyond static data collection. Instead, it focuses on identifying specific individuals, networks, and vulnerabilities to provide actionable intelligence for national security, law enforcement, and intelligence agencies. Aslan's platform is designed to address threats such as cross-border smuggling, foreign influence operations, and illicit finance by exposing the underlying infrastructure and payment rails of criminal enterprises. The business model is B2G (Business-to-Government), offering its system through government contracts and subscriptions. In September 2026, Aslan announced a $20.8 million seed funding round co-led by Khosla Ventures and XYZ Venture Capital, with participation from BoxGroup, 2048 Ventures, Liquid 2 Ventures, and Alumni Ventures. The capital is intended to scale the company's software engineering, data science, and threat intelligence teams, as well as expand its computational infrastructure to accelerate deployment across U.S. federal agencies. Keywords: cyber intelligence, national security, artificial intelligence, threat detection, digital environments, law enforcement, B2G, AI operatives, hostile networks, autonomous agents, cyber defense, transnational crime, foreign influence, illicit finance, intelligence platform, behavioral assessment, persistent monitoring, fraud syndicates, smuggling networks, defense technology