For years, tech behemoth Google threatened to crack down on browser extension activity within its Chrome browser to improve security. Now, the company is making good on its threats and disabling browser extensions that don't comply with Manifest V3, its browser extension framework. Security experts, such as those at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), argue that Manifest V3 is not a viable solution for addressing real security concerns, including browser extensions that scrape users' browsing histories and sell the data to the highest bidder.
Koi closed a $10 million seed round in December and a $38 million Series A in August. Picture Capital and NFX led the seed, while Battery Ventures and Team8 led the Series A. Cerca Partners participated in both rounds. The Washington, DC-headquartered startup was cofounded last year by Assaraf and two other former Israel Defense Forces members who served in intelligence Unit 8200: CTO Idan Dardikman and CPO Itay Kruk. Both Dardikman and Kruk previously worked together at cybersecurity company Sygnia.