From Cybersecurity to AI Orchestration: Nord Security Founders Unveil Nexos.ai to Accelerate Enterprise AI Adoption
The masterminds behind the globally recognized cybersecurity giant, Nord Security, are embarking on a new venture, this time tackling the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence. Tomas Okmanas and Eimantas Sabaliauskas, the co-founders of the Lithuanian unicorn, have launched Nexos.ai, a groundbreaking AI orchestration startup designed to help enterprises seamlessly transition their AI projects from experimental pilots to full-scale production. With a laser focus on large language models (LLMs), Nexos.ai aims to bring unprecedented visibility, security, and adaptability to the complex world of enterprise AI.
Bootstrapped to Billions, Now Revolutionizing AI
Okmanas and Sabaliauskas are no strangers to building successful tech companies. Nord Security, best known for its flagship product NordVPN, bootstrapped its way to a $3 billion valuation, solidifying its position as a leader in the cybersecurity space. Now, they are leveraging their experience and expertise to address a critical gap in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Nexos.ai; Securing $8 Million in Seed Funding to Fuel AI Innovation
Exiting stealth mode, Nexos.ai has announced a significant $8 million seed funding round led by Index Ventures, marking the VC firm’s first investment in Lithuania. The round also attracted notable investors such as Creandum, Dig Ventures, and prominent angel investors, including the CEOs of Datadog, Klarna, Supercell, and Wix, underscoring the industry’s confidence in Nexos.ai’s vision. The high-profile backing speaks volumes about the potential of the AI solutions space.
Bridging the Gap Between AI Pilots and Production
Many businesses are eager to harness the power of AI, but deploying AI models in a production environment presents significant challenges. Integrating various AI tools, recruiting specialized talent, and ensuring high availability, security, and cost-effectiveness can be daunting. This is precisely where Nexos.ai steps in.
“There’s a vast difference between running AI as a pilot and deploying it in a live, enterprise setting,” explains Okmanas. “Testing in a controlled lab environment is one thing, but ensuring scalability, security, and cost management in production requires a robust infrastructure. Many businesses are struggling with this, which is why we created Nexos.ai.”
Real-World Challenges at Hostinger
Okmanas’s firsthand experience with these challenges while implementing AI features at Hostinger, a web hosting company under the Tesonet umbrella (which also houses Nord Security), served as the catalyst for Nexos.ai. Unexpectedly high bills from OpenAI and service outages highlighted the need for a solution that offered greater control and transparency.
“We integrated OpenAI into our website builder, and suddenly we were hit with a $150,000 bill,” Okmanas recalls. “We had no visibility into why it was so expensive. And when OpenAI experienced downtime, it disrupted our service. That’s when we realized there was a critical need for a platform to manage and optimize this increasingly complex AI ecosystem.”
Nexos AI Orchestration Platform
Nexos.ai offers a powerful AI orchestration platform accessible through a simple API. This platform provides access to over 200 AI models, including industry leaders like OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as specialized LLMs. This diverse selection empowers businesses to choose the best model for their specific needs and seamlessly switch between providers if necessary.
Key Features of Nexos Ai
- Automated Model Switching: If one LLM provider experiences an outage or becomes too expensive, Nexos.ai can automatically switch to an alternative, ensuring uninterrupted service and cost optimization.
- Intelligent Caching: Nexos.ai employs intelligent caching to reduce costs. When multiple users pose the same query, the system can retrieve the answer from its cache rather than repeatedly querying the LLM, saving on API calls.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance: The platform prevents sensitive data from being sent to external LLM providers and allows for immediate access termination when employees leave the company. Nexos.ai also includes safeguards to detect and reroute personally identifiable information (PII) back to the company’s secure internal systems.
- Future-Proofing AI Deployment: While currently a hosted solution, Nexos.ai has plans to offer self-hosting options for increased security, and already supports integrating with in-house, proprietary LLMs.
- Streamlined Access to Over 200 AI Models: The simple API grants businesses access to a wide range of LLMs, allowing them to leverage the latest AI developments without needing to maintain complex integrations themselves.
Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Data Security
Given the founders’ background in cybersecurity, data security is paramount for Nexos.ai. While acknowledging past security challenges faced by Hostinger and NordVPN, Okmanas emphasizes the company’s commitment to robust security measures. Nexos.ai is designed to detect and prevent the transmission of sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII), to external LLM providers.
From Idea to Inception
Nexos.ai’s rapid development, from concept to incorporation in just six weeks, was significantly accelerated by the resources and talent pool within the Tesonet ecosystem. This allowed Okmanas to quickly assemble a highly skilled team of approximately 30 individuals who had already proven their ability to work together effectively.
The Future of Enterprise AI
“We believe we’ve moved past the initial hype surrounding AI,” says Hannah Seal, partner at Index Ventures. “Now, we’re seeing real-world applications emerge, and enterprises are recognizing the transformative potential of AI. The time is ripe for infrastructure solutions like Nexos.ai to support this widespread adoption.”
Launch and Availability
Nexos.ai’s platform is scheduled to launch by the end of March. The company is currently collaborating with a select group of beta customers and design partners to refine its offering.
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