Kindo Eliminates Security Stress in AI Workflows for Seamless Integration

Ron Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Kindo: Pioneering Generative AI Security for Enterprises

Ron Williams, the co-founder and CEO of Kindo, brings an impressive cybersecurity background to his new venture, having previously led security teams at notable companies like Riot Games (the developer of League of Legends), Bird, and Clover Health, a startup backed by Alphabet. Now, Williams is channeling his expertise into the rapidly evolving realm of artificial intelligence (AI) through Kindo, his innovative AI productivity and security startup.

Amid a proliferation of AI startups, Kindo sets itself apart with a unique approach. Co-created with former Google engineer Bryan Vann and ex-OpenAI employee Margaret Jennings, Kindo claims to be the first self-service AI platform with back-end integrations specifically designed for enterprise use.

“We recognized that a significant AI wave was on the horizon,” Williams explained. “Historically, with each wave—whether smartphones or SaaS—I've had to wait years for the right tools to manage the emerging applications that come with them.”

Originally named “Usable Machines,” Kindo aims to tackle these challenges by providing enterprises with robust generative AI security, compliance, and centralized management. This enables businesses to harness the power of AI while maintaining security and privacy.

The platform allows organizations to connect to any private, open-source, or commercial AI model, including popular options like ChatGPT and Google Bard. Kindo supports over 200 software-as-a-service (SaaS) integrations, enabling employees to create no-code, AI-driven workflows seamlessly. Importantly, Kindo offers security teams back-end functionality that ensures complete visibility and control over AI usage within their organizations, simplifying the process of managing data access through personally identifiable information (PII) filters and content regulation. “Our solution allows you to operate within GDPR frameworks,” Williams noted. “One standout feature is the ability to filter PII before any AI model accesses it.”

Additionally, the platform provides centralized governance for employee access, permissions, and audit logs, along with usage tracking and analytics for all AI prompts, data, and workflows.

While Kindo offers a range of tools suited for enterprise developers and security teams, Williams emphasizes that their primary focus is on the functional end user who seeks to harness AI’s capabilities. “Many startups are building tools for developers, but there’s a gap in creating solutions that empower marketing professionals and other users to harness this technology effectively,” he said. With Kindo AI, end users can automate tasks such as Zoom video transcripts, crafting press releases, and generating performance reviews.

“The ideal customer for us is in the mid-market segment,” Williams explained. “While we have opportunities with larger enterprises—and are indeed engaging with some major companies—we excel in serving businesses that haven’t heavily invested in data science resources.”

Founded in August of last year, Kindo has quickly attracted investor interest, securing $7 million in seed funding in June. This round was led by Riot Ventures, with contributions from Eniac Ventures and RRE Ventures, as well as notable investors like Marlinspike Partners, Flexcap Ventures, New Era Ventures, Andrew Peterson (founder of Signal Sciences), and Dave Politis (founder of BetterCloud).