EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund joins $15M Seed Round for Cybersecurity Startup Zepo
International cybersecurity startup Zepo Intelligence has closed a $15M seed round. Leading European venture funds participated in the round, including EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund. The deal size makes it one of the largest seed investments in cybersecurity involving a Kazakhstan-Spain fund.
EA Ventures' participation in the Zepo round is part of the fund's strategy to invest in technology companies with global potential and a strong scientific and technological base.
EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund is a €20M venture fund focused on early-stage promising startups. The fund was established in 2025 by Kazakhstan's investment holding EA Group and innovation platform Plug and Play. To date, the fund has already invested in five startups and continues actively building its portfolio.
Yerik Aubakirov, CEO of EA Group Holding: "For a fund with Kazakh roots to enter a $15M round alongside leading European investors—this is confirmation that we already know how to compete at a global level. Zepo operates in one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity markets, and we're thrilled to be part of this story."
The investments will support scaling Zepo's product and global business expansion. The startup operates at the intersection of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and behavioral sciences, developing the social intelligence direction. This approach focuses on protecting people and organizations from complex AI-driven social engineering attacks.
Zepo's platform helps companies detect and prevent multi-layered and personalized cyber threats, which are becoming increasingly common amid the rise of generative AI. The company's clients include major corporations and international organizations across more than 10 countries.
The round featured European funds Kibo Ventures, eCAPITAL, and TIN Capital, which specialize in cybersecurity, along with a number of strategic and minority investors from the CrowdStrike and TRC ecosystems. Previously, Zepo was selected for one of the most prestigious cybersecurity accelerators supported by NVIDIA, Amazon Web Services, and CrowdStrike.
EA Ventures Plug and Play EMEA Fund views the investment in Zepo Intelligence as a bet on the next generation of cybersecurity solutions focused on the human factor and behavioral analytics.
According to the fund, the growth of generative AI is radically amplifying social engineering threats, while traditional protection tools are increasingly falling short. Zepo's approach—combining artificial intelligence, behavioral analysis, and organizational resilience—meets current and future market demands.
From the startup's side, the deal is seen as a key milestone for scaling.
Zepo Intelligence: "Closing a $15M seed round is a powerful market signal. We see how AI is changing the nature of cyber threats, and Zepo was created precisely to address these challenges. Support from leading investors enables us to accelerate global development and attract top talent."
In the near future, the company will focus on expanding its presence in the US and Europe, product development, and team growth, including experts in AI, cybersecurity, and behavioral analytics.