$15M to spot (and fix) cyber risks 💸

Newsletter for June 4, 2025

Let's talk about cyber.

It's a major industry in Maryland with countless established firms, startups and workforce development orgs. Pixee, a Baltimore company founded in 2022, is flexing its muscles in this sector with a $15 million seed round. Keep scrolling to learn more about it.

Plus, we have details on how to avoid legal pitfalls early on in your company's development, courtesy of some local founders. Read more below.

— Kaela, Technical.ly lead reporter in Baltimore and DC

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Many cyber tools exist to automate the search for vulnerabilities in code, but not to fix those flaws, explained Pixee CEO Surag Patel. The company he cofounded with Baltimore-based CTO Arshan Dabirsiaghi uses agentic AI to make sure what’s flagged is an issue, and automates repairing the code to avoid attacks.

The startup's first raise was led by Decibel and Wing VC in Palo Alto, with participation from Maryland’s venture arm TEDCO and PrimeSet in Dallas. Patel and Dabirsiaghi will be using the funds to expand Pixee’s go-to-market team and to open a formal office in the Baltimore region.

“The going-forward plan is: We need to start scaling up the awareness of Pixee,” he told me. Continue reading ...

Legal help is pricey. But there are long-term costs to early legal shortcuts when starting a business, founders explained on a panel at Technical.ly's Builders Conference in May.

“Think of building a business like building a home,” Shari Bailey of Laila’s Gift in Aberdeen said. “If you skip inspections until the end, you might have to tear out the foundation. Do things right and tight up front.”

Her advice? Document everything, and use tools like ChatGPT to start (but not end) legal processes. Continue reading ...

• The Economic Development Administration rescinded six of the recent awards it granted to previously designated Tech Hubs earlier this year. Commerce plans to open applications for another funding round this summer and announce awardees in 2026, putting Baltimore back in the running for millions. [Technical.ly]

• Johns Hopkins is pausing raises and freezing hiring as federal cuts continue. The university already announced it would lay off 2,000 employees. [Baltimore Biz Journal]

• Meta is relying on Baltimore's Constellation Energy to secure nuclear power for fueling AI developments and data centers. [Baltimore Banner]

• Harper's Choice Middle School in Columbia has a new STEM center thanks to the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the state. The philanthropic org, named after the Orioles player, has set up these centers across the country. [CBS/Technical.ly]

• Baltimore City has an RFP open for internet service providers to deliver affordable services in public housing units. [BCIT]

• Columbia cyber firm Tenable is acquiring Apex Security. The firm has been busy: Leadership announced the purchase of an Israeli firm earlier this year for $147 million in cash and $3 million in restricted stock units. Tenable also recently announced a new office opening in Tel Aviv and hired a chief product officer. [Tenable/Technical.ly]

• Check out how to best deliver your startup pitch, among other lessons from founders and investors. [Technical.ly]

• Maryland's AG is suing Trump over attempts to cut National Science Foundation programs. [AG Brown]