Protectt.ai to Acquire Majority Stake in Bosch’s AIShield, Plans Major Hiring Push

Protectt.ai is set to acquire a controlling stake in AIShield, an artificial intelligence security platform developed within Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW). Bosch will retain a minority stake in the business following the transaction.

The deal marks Protectt.ai’s first acquisition as the cybersecurity startup looks to expand beyond mobile security and strengthen its presence in enterprise AI security. The transaction will involve both a primary share issuance and a secondary share purchase. The companies have not disclosed the deal value or the expected completion date.

“There will be cash, a secondary component and future investments as required,” Protectt.ai cofounder Manish Mimani told Inc42, adding that the current structure also includes employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). Any additional investment will depend on the business’s future requirements.

Founded in 2022 by Shiv Kumar and Amit Phadke, AIShield specialises in protecting machine learning models, generative AI applications and AI supply chains. Its technology helps enterprises defend against attacks that exploit or manipulate AI systems while addressing related security and compliance risks.

Following the acquisition, AIShield will operate as an independent entity under Protectt.ai, with its own management team and a dedicated focus on AI security research and product development. The company will also retain the option to raise external funding in the future.

## Protectt.ai Expands Beyond Mobile Security

Founded in 2020 by Manish Mimani and Mohanraj Selvaraj, Protectt.ai develops mobile threat defence solutions that help businesses protect applications from cyberattacks and fraud. Its platform also supports regulatory compliance for app owners operating in sectors governed by institutions such as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

The company has also been developing a broader AI security offering. Its solutions include tools for testing AI agents for vulnerabilities, securing connections between AI applications and external tools, and monitoring AI systems while they are running.

According to Mimani, Protectt.ai’s security technology operates across more than one billion mobile devices and processes around 15 billion mobile application sessions every month.

The company believes AI agents will increasingly become part of mobile applications over the next one to two years. As these agents take on more tasks, users may rely less on traditional app interfaces and interact with applications in new ways.

Protectt.ai had already been exploring AI model scanning and AI agent security. The acquisition of AIShield is expected to strengthen these efforts and extend its security capabilities to enterprise customers across multiple industries.

The combined business also aims to develop an India-built AI security platform for private enterprises and government organisations.

## AIShield Plans to Expand Its Team

AIShield currently employs around 12–15 people and plans to increase its workforce to 50–60 employees by March 2027.

The hiring drive will focus on strengthening the company’s research and engineering capabilities. AIShield intends to recruit PhD researchers, postgraduate graduates and other technical professionals from leading institutions.

The expanded team will work on developing new products, advancing AI security research and filing patents. Some members of Protectt.ai’s existing AI security team are also expected to move to AIShield, although the final number has not yet been decided.

The hiring plan reflects the growing importance of securing AI systems as enterprises adopt generative AI tools and autonomous agents. These technologies create new security challenges, including the risk of manipulated models, vulnerable AI workflows and attacks targeting the systems and data on which AI applications depend.

## Protectt.ai Eyes More Acquisitions

The AIShield transaction is the first acquisition under Protectt.ai’s broader inorganic growth strategy. The company established a mergers and acquisitions team earlier in 2026 to identify businesses that could strengthen its technology portfolio and fill gaps in its existing offerings.

Protectt.ai is now exploring potential acquisitions and partnerships in areas such as application programming interface (API) security and cloud security. These capabilities could complement its existing mobile and AI security products and help it build a more comprehensive cybersecurity platform.

In 2025, Protectt.ai raised approximately $16 million in a Series A funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners and Bajaj Finance. The company is also evaluating future growth opportunities and may consider raising additional capital in 2027.

By combining its mobile security expertise with AIShield’s enterprise-focused capabilities, Protectt.ai is positioning itself to serve a broader range of cybersecurity needs. Its next challenge will be to integrate the businesses effectively, expand AIShield’s research capabilities and turn the combined technology portfolio into a scalable enterprise security offering.