- What: Akamai acquires LayerX for enhanced browser security
- Impact: Expands Akamai's Zero Trust capabilities
M&A Tracker Akamai to Acquire AI and Browser Security Firm LayerX for $205 Million The acquisition enables Akamai to expand its Zero Trust portfolio to add protection directly into the browser. By Eduard Kovacs | May 14, 2026 (8:55 AM ET) Flipboard Reddit Whatsapp Whatsapp Email Cloud computing, security and CDN provider Akamai announced on Thursday that it has agreed to acquire LayerX, a company specializing in AI and browser security, for roughly $205 million. LayerX, which has raised a total of $45 million, has developed a security platform that provides real-time visibility and control over user and agentic activities across browsers, applications, and IDEs. The company’s solutions address AI-related risks through features such as shadow AI discovery, gen-AI data loss prevention, access controls for AI tools, misuse detection, and protection for AI browsers and plugins. LayerX also covers traditional browser security needs like extension management, safe browsing, and secure access. LayerX technology enables Akamai to expand its Zero Trust and application security portfolio with AI usage control capabilities. LayerX co-founders and employees will join Akamai’s Zero Trust organization. The deal, subject to standard closing conditions, is expected to complete in the third quarter of 2026. The LayerX business is projected to reach approximately $10 million in annual recurring revenue by year-end, with the acquisition anticipated to dilute Akamai’s non-GAAP EPS by roughly $0.12 in fiscal 2026. Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading. LayerX in recent months reported finding several vulnerabilities , including one exposing AI agents to takeover, as well as attacks involving data-stealing browser extensions . This is Akamai’s second acquisition in the past year, after it acquired serverless WebAssembly company Fermyon in December 2025. SecurityWeek tracked more than 420 acquisitions in 2025 and a detailed analysis of those deals is available. We have cataloged more than 150 cybersecurity M&A transactions to date in 2026. Related : Cybersecurity M&A Roundup: 33 Deals Announced in April 2026 Related : OpenAI to Acquire AI Security Startup Promptfoo Related : Cybersecurity M&A Roundup: 38 Deals Announced in March 2026 Written By Eduard Kovacs Eduard Kovacs (@EduardKovacs) is senior managing editor at SecurityWeek. He worked as a high school IT teacher before starting a career in journalism in 2011. Eduard holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial informatics and a master’s degree in computer techniques applied in electrical engineering. More from Eduard Kovacs Microsoft Patches Critical Zero-Click Outlook Vulnerability Threatening Enterprises Hundreds of Malicious Packages Force RubyGems to Suspend Registrations ICS Patch Tuesday: New Security Advisories From Siemens, Schneider, CISA BWH Hotels Says Hackers Had Access to Reservation Data for 6 Months Apple Patches Dozens of Vulnerabilities in macOS, iOS Claude Mythos Finds Only One Curl Vulnerability; Experts Divided on What It Really Means Frame Security Emerges From Stealth With $50M for Awareness and Training Platform Google Detects First AI-Generated Zero-Day Exploit Latest News Chinese APTs Expand Targets, Update Backdoors in Recent Campaigns G7 Countries Release AI SBOM Guidance F5 Patches Over 50 Vulnerabilities Hackers Targeted PraisonAI Vulnerability Hours After Disclosure High-Severity Vulnerability Patched in VMware Fusion Researcher Drops YellowKey, GreenPlasma Windows Zero-Days Foxconn Confirms North American Factories Hit by Cyberattack Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks Find Many Vulnerabilities by Using AI on Their Own Code Trending Daily Briefing Newsletter Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts. Webinar: ROSI for CPS Security Programs May 13, 2026 In cyber-physical systems (CPS), just one hour of downtime can outweigh an entire annual security budget. Learn how to master the Return on Security Investment (ROSI) to align security goals with the bottom-line priorities. Register Virtual Event: Threat Detection and Incident Response Summit May 20, 2026 Delve into big-picture strategies to reduce attack surfaces, improve patch management, conduct post-incident forensics, and tools and tricks needed in a modern organization. Register People on the Move Silvio Pappalardo has joined AuthMind as Chief Revenue Officer. iCOUNTER has appointed Lisa Hayashi as CMO and Bob Kalchthaler as CFO. Thomas Bain has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at Silent Push. More People On The Move Expert Insights Is the SOC Obsolete, and We Just Haven’t Admitted It Yet? Many AI-first enterprises have already embraced sovereign architectures for general AI initiatives; cybersecurity—and the SOC—should be next. (Danelle Au) The Mythos Moment: Enterprises Must Fight Agents with Agents Only with the right platform and an agentic, AI-driven defense, will enterprises be able to protect themselves in the agentic era. (Etay Maor) Why Cybersecurity Must Rethink Defense in the Age of Autonomous Agents From autonomous code generation to decision-making systems that initiate actions without human intervention, the industry is entering a new phase. (Torsten George) Government Can’t Win the Cyber War Without the Private Sector Securing national resilience now depends on faster, deeper partnerships with the private sector. (Steve Durbin) The Hidden ROI of Visibility: Better Decisions, Better Behavior, Better Security Beyond monitoring and compliance, visibility acts as a powerful deterrent, shaping user behavior, improving collaboration, and enabling more accurate, data-driven security decisions. (Joshua Goldfarb) Flipboard Reddit Whatsapp Whatsapp Email