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Based in Denver, Colorado, Dapple Security develops a passwordless authentication platform that utilizes biometrics to replace traditional passwords and prevent credential-based cyberattacks like phishing. The pre-revenue company targets small and medium-sized businesses, often operating through managed service providers, to deliver secure employee logins across corporate devices without centrally storing sensitive identity data. In January 2024, the enterprise secured $2.3 million in a priced pre-seed funding round to further develop its proprietary authenticator application and expand its core engineering capabilities. This financing was led by First In, with additional participation from prominent venture capital firms ex/ante, Access Ventures, and Techstars. The cybersecurity startup also joined the FIDO Alliance to help advance industry standards for passwordless authentication protocols. Dapple Security was founded in 2022 by former National Security Agency cryptomathematician Gadalia Montoya Weinberg O'Bryan.
Dapple Security has raised $2.8M across 2 funding rounds.
Dapple Security has raised $2.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Dapple Security has raised $2.8M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $2.3M Pre-Seed in February 2024.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2024 | $2.3M Pre Seed | First IN | Access Ventures, Techstars | Announced |
| Jul 1, 2023 | $500K Seed | — | Construct Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Forerunner Ventures, Gaingels, Precursor Ventures, Ravelin Capital, TenOneTen Ventures, TET Ventures, Huseyin Karayagiz, Immad Akhund, Nick Hunley, Ozlem Petek HUN | Announced |
Dapple Security is a cybersecurity startup founded in 2022 that develops a passwordless authentication platform using biometrics to generate revocable digital credentials, eliminating the need to store sensitive biometric data.[1][2][3] The company targets small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), which are often vulnerable to cyber attacks like phishing due to limited access to affordable security tools, by offering seamless, privacy-preserving access across multiple devices via passkeys derived from fingerprints or facial recognition.[1][2][4] With $2.3M raised in a priced pre-seed round in early 2024 (total funding ~$2.42M), Dapple planned a 2024 launch to address rising cybercrime costs, projected at $9.5T annually.[1][2]
This pre-revenue, pre-product company achieved early traction through veteran-led backing and recognition as a "cybersecurity company to watch" by CSO in 2023 for preventing credential-based attacks.[3]
Dapple Security was founded in 2022 by Gadalia Montoya Weinberg O’Bryan, a former cryptographer (crypto-mathematician) at the National Security Agency (NSA) with nearly a decade of experience balancing security and privacy challenges.[1][2][3] Drawing from her government background, O’Bryan identified flaws in traditional password systems amid escalating cyber threats, leading to the creation of a biometric solution that reproduces credentials on demand without storage—prioritizing user privacy and digital sovereignty.[1][2]
Early momentum built through convertible notes in spring 2023, culminating in a $2.3M priced pre-seed round led by First In (focused on military/intelligence veterans), with participation from ex/ante, Access Ventures, and Techstars.[1][3] This funding validated Dapple's vision pre-product, emphasizing the "why now" amid AI-driven phishing surges.[3]
Dapple stands out in cybersecurity through these key strengths:
These features leverage O’Bryan's NSA expertise for robust, user-friendly security in a complex market.[1][3]
Dapple rides the passwordless authentication trend, accelerated by biometrics standards like FIDO and rising cybercrime (e.g., $9.5T projected 2024 costs), where 80%+ of breaches involve stolen credentials.[1] Timing aligns with AI-amplified phishing and SMB digitalization, creating urgency for simple, non-AI-dependent defenses that generalists struggle to grasp—favoring specialist investors.[3]
Market forces like regulatory privacy demands (e.g., GDPR) and passkey adoption by tech giants boost Dapple, positioning it to influence SMB ecosystems by democratizing enterprise-grade security and reducing attack surfaces amid talent shortages.[2][3][4]
Post-2024 launch, Dapple is poised for SMB expansion, potentially scaling via partnerships with Techstars/First In networks and iterating on biometric reproducibility amid AI threats.[3] Trends like zero-trust models and quantum-resistant crypto (leveraging O’Bryan's background) will shape growth, evolving Dapple from niche innovator to broader digital identity leader—redefining secure access as cyber costs soar.[1][2]
This builds on its pre-seed momentum, turning NSA-honed insights into a privacy-centric shield for vulnerable businesses.[1][3]
Dapple Security has raised $2.8M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Dapple Security's investors include First In, Access Ventures, Techstars, Construct Capital, Jenny Fielding, Scott Hartley, Everywhere Ventures (The Fund), Forerunner Ventures, Gaingels, Precursor Ventures, Ravelin Capital, TenOneTen Ventures.
