Radicl secures $31M to scale AI-driven security operations for SMBs
Updated 09:00 EST / February 03, 2026
Radicl Defense closed a $31 million Series A to accelerate its autonomous virtual security operations center for small and mid-sized businesses that support the U.S. defense industrial base and critical infrastructure.
Founded in 2021, the company offers cybersecurity-as-a-service that functions like a full SOC: 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, investigation, and incident response. The pitch is simple for operations leaders-swap a patchwork of tools and light MSP coverage for one managed platform with clear accountability.
What this means for operations
- SOC outcomes without hiring a full in-house team (coverage, response, and reporting in one contract).
- Defined SLAs and incident ownership to reduce MTTD/MTTR and board-level risk.
- Built-in compliance workflows to support audits tied to DoD work.
- Predictable pricing and fewer vendors to manage.
How Radicl's vSOC works
Radicl runs a software-led environment where analysts and AI-assisted tools work together to spot and handle threats. The platform analyzes data, hunts for hidden activity, and coordinates response actions across the environment.
The goal is straightforward: give SMBs access to enterprise-grade defense without enterprise headcount or tooling sprawl.
Compliance is front and center
Radicl supports programs that matter for defense suppliers: the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification and NIST SP 800-171. Both are required for many contracts across the defense industrial base and critical infrastructure partners.
Traction and customers
Radicl reports revenue growth of more than 7x year-over-year (base not disclosed) and increasing adoption. Named customers include Trenton Systems, VATN Systems, Barn Owl Tech, Bluesky Innovators, and DIT-MCO International.
Leadership perspective
"They simply cannot afford best-in-class technology nor talent and have gone without or adopted lower-quality options," said co-founder and CEO Chris Petersen, describing SMB constraints.
He added that an AI-driven "threat tsunami" is expanding attacker capacity and reach: "It is imperative that SMBs, especially those that support U.S. national security, have better options to choose from… Radicl was founded to address this critical concern and is fighting AI with AI, delivering comprehensive and strong cyber defense with an experience and price point ideal for the SMB buyer."
Funding details
The Series A was led by Paladin Capital Group, with participation from Access Venture Partners, Denver Ventures, and Cervin Ventures.
Operator checklist: questions to ask before you buy
- Coverage and ownership: What incidents do you fully own end-to-end? Where do you hand off to our team?
- Response metrics: What are your average MTTD/MTTR numbers? What is the false-positive rate?
- Playbooks: How do you coordinate containment and recovery across endpoints, identity, email, and cloud?
- Compliance: How do you map controls to CMMC and NIST SP 800-171? Do you provide audit-ready evidence?
- Data handling: Where is data stored, how long is it retained, and what are the access controls?
- Onboarding: Typical time to value? What integrations and prerequisites are required?
- Pricing: What drives cost (seats, endpoints, data volume)? Any overage scenarios we should model?
- Continuity: What happens during major incidents, holidays, or staff rotations?
Action items for operations teams
- Score your current SOC coverage (hours, response, reporting, compliance evidence). Identify gaps a vSOC could close.
- Run a 30-60 day pilot with clear success metrics (detection quality, response time, ticket noise reduction, audit readiness).
- Pre-align with procurement and compliance so CMMC/NIST requirements are baked into the contract and SLAs.
If your team is building competency in AI, automation, and security operations, explore practical training paths here: AI + automation courses.
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