What do C1.ai and Neo sell?

C1.ai sells AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Neo sells Neo Node, Neo Console and Neoverse.

Are C1.ai and Neo in the same category?

They share AI model and agent security. C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration and Neo's is AI model and agent security.

Who are C1.ai and Neo sold to?

From its own pages, C1.ai sells to organisations that manage access for people, non-human identities, and agents, and to technical teams that extend the platform through APIs and Terraform. From its own pages, the company sells mainly to organisations that need to know which AI agents run on their fleet and what each one can reach.

What have C1.ai and Neo announced recently?

October 13, 2026: Workday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2027, ending January 31, 2027. July 20, 2026: Neo emerged from stealth with $100 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Craft Ventures and Merlin Ventures.

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

C1.ai vs Neo

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. Neo sells security for AI and agentic software across every endpoint, SaaS app, and cloud service. CISO Tribune files both under AI model and agent security. This page sets the two records side by side: what each sells, where it is based, who owns and funds it, the customers it names and its recent news, each fact numbered to its source.

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C1.ai vs Neo: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
What it sells
	C1.aiC1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime.c1.ai	NeoNeo sells security for AI and agentic software across every endpoint, SaaS app, and cloud service.neo.ai
What it sells	AI-Native Identity Governance^[1][2]Automates lifecycle, access requests, reviews, and compliance for human and non-human identities. NHI & Identity Security^[1][2]Discovers and alerts on identity and non-human identity risks across the workforce and agents. Agent SSO & Runtime Governance^[1][2]Enforces runtime guardrails and access controls for AI agents, with human-in-the-loop approval. Apps & MCP Self Service^[1][2]Provides on-demand self-service access to approved apps, MCPs, and AI tools. Deploy Custom Agents^[1][2]Lets organizations run autonomous agents across connected systems with guardrails. Shadow AI Discovery^[1][2]Finds unsanctioned AI tools, agents, MCP servers, and credentials in use.	Neo Node^[3][5][6]Enforces policy on the laptop, on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Decides each agent action with allow, ask, or block. Neo Console^[6]Starts from a customer's organization and its teams, taken from the identity provider. Neoverse^[1][3][5][6]The intelligence layer for AI apps and tools.
Categories
Categories	Identity governance and administration (primary category) Non-human identity security Privileged access management AI model and agent security	AI model and agent security (primary category) Workforce AI usage security AI governance Software supply chain security
Headquarters
Headquarters	Not stated on its pages	Not stated on its pages
Founded
Founded	Not stated on its pages	Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Ownership and funding	Not stated on its pages	Privately held^[3]
Named customers
Named customers	Not stated on its pages	Not stated on its pages
Recent news
Recent news	October 13, 2026Workday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2027, ending January 31, 2027.^[9]	July 20, 2026Neo emerged from stealth with $100 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Craft Ventures and Merlin Ventures.^[7]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights	G2: Not stated on its pages Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages	G2: Not stated on its pages Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
Who it fits	From its own pages, C1.ai sells to organisations that manage access for people, non-human identities, and agents, and to technical teams that extend the platform through APIs and Terraform. The pages describe governed access for infrastructure teams through the tools they already use. The pages cover on-premises technology such as Active Directory and back-office apps. A named energy-sector customer sought an identity governance solution after an external auditor recommended one to streamline user access reviews.	From its own pages, the company sells mainly to organisations that need to know which AI agents run on their fleet and what each one can reach. Neo describes examples from a healthcare SaaS company and a fintech. Neo Node deploys through an MDM that the customer already runs. Neo Console takes the organization and its teams from the customer's identity provider. Neo enforces policy on laptops running macOS, Windows, and Linux, and extends the same policy to SaaS apps and cloud deployments.
Last verified
Last verified	November 2, 2026	November 9, 2026

Where they overlap

C1.ai and Neo are both filed under AI model and agent security.

Where they differ, field by field

C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration; Neo's is AI model and agent security.
C1.ai is also filed under Non-human identity security and Privileged access management. Neo is also filed under Workforce AI usage security, AI governance and Software supply chain security.
C1.ai lists AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Neo lists Neo Node, Neo Console and Neoverse.
Neo is privately held.

What it sells: Neo

What Neo Node does^[3][5][6]: Neo Node deploys through the MDM a customer already runs, with no kernel module and no reboot. Neo Node reads the whole session rather than only the command. Inside Claude Code, Neo Node reads the model, MCP servers, skills and plugins that Claude Code loads.
What Neoverse does^[1][3][5][6]: Neoverse checks every extension, package, skill, and MCP server before it runs. Neoverse rates an unsigned server loaded by an agent as Unsafe on first sight.

Questions about C1.ai and Neo

What do C1.ai and Neo sell?: C1.ai sells AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Neo sells Neo Node, Neo Console and Neoverse.
Are C1.ai and Neo in the same category?: They share AI model and agent security. C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration and Neo's is AI model and agent security.
Who owns C1.ai and Neo?: Neo is privately held.
Who are C1.ai and Neo sold to?: From its own pages, C1.ai sells to organisations that manage access for people, non-human identities, and agents, and to technical teams that extend the platform through APIs and Terraform. From its own pages, the company sells mainly to organisations that need to know which AI agents run on their fleet and what each one can reach.
What have C1.ai and Neo announced recently?: October 13, 2026: Workday announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire C1.ai, with the transaction expected to close in the fourth quarter of Workday's fiscal year 2027, ending January 31, 2027. July 20, 2026: Neo emerged from stealth with $100 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Craft Ventures and Merlin Ventures.

About C1.ai

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. C1 Agents complete multi-step jobs across connected systems, with human approval for sensitive changes. C1.ai connects to SaaS, cloud infra providers, on-prem systems, and MCP servers.^[2]

On the governance side, C1.ai turns HR and directory events into day-one account and access changes across supported systems. C1.ai provisions users the access they need based on conditions and policy. C1.ai applies policy-based provisioning and routing to any connected system. C1.ai covers user access reviews and separation-of-duties (SoD) conflict detection. C1.ai gives people and agents self-service access to approved applications and AI tools, with policy applied before fulfillment.^[1][2][3]

For self-service, C1.ai makes approved apps, MCP servers, AI tools, roles, and permissions discoverable from one catalog. People and agents can request access from the web, Slack, Microsoft Teams, MCP, API, or CLI. C1.ai auto-approves routine access and routes sensitive requests using identity, role, resource, and risk context. C1.ai expires just-in-time access automatically so temporary permissions do not become standing access.^[4]

For cloud infrastructure, C1.ai provides engineers and agents with precisely scoped cloud access. C1.ai reads cloud providers' resource trees, preserving the parent-child relationships each platform uses natively. C1.ai resolves inherited permissions in real time. C1.ai provisions, adjusts, and revokes access automatically as roles change, teams shift, or agents are redeployed.

Every action in the console is available via API, and C1.ai operates as an MCP server. C1.ai governs human, service, workload, and AI agent identities from one control plane. C1.ai logs every action with full context: subject, actor, delegation chain, purpose, resource, policy, and outcome. C1.ai supports policies as Terraform, AI-written CEL and functions, and validation via API. Technical teams extend C1.ai with APIs, custom functions, CLI, webhooks, and an AI integration builder, and manage it with Terraform.^[2][6]

C1.ai includes 300+ connectors, built on Baton, which is open source under Apache 2.0, that integrate IdPs, directories, SaaS apps, cloud infrastructure, and on-prem systems into one identity graph. The connectors can be hosted or self-hosted. The identity graph ingests identity, permission, and resource data from all of your systems. C1.ai visualizes access paths for users, non-human identities, applications, and resources. C1.ai addresses access risks such as orphaned accounts, inactive users, and high-risk users. C1.ai offers built-in remediation options such as downgrading access, offboarding accounts, and securing service accounts. C1.ai connects to non-cloud infrastructure, including LDAP, Postgres, and Microsoft SQL. C1.ai covers on-premises technology such as Active Directory and homegrown and back-office apps.^[1][6][7]

IGS Energy started looking for a partner after an external auditor recommended an identity governance solution to streamline user access reviews.^[1][2][8]

C1.ai on the record

About Neo

Neo sells security for AI and agentic software across every endpoint, SaaS app, and cloud service. Neo sees every AI agent, app, extension, skill, and MCP server on devices, in browsers, and across SaaS apps and cloud, checks its configuration, and enforces policy before any action runs. Neo maps an organization's teams, people, endpoints, agents, MCP servers, skills, and everything they reach.^[2][4][5]

Neo addresses a situation in which few teams can say which agents run on their fleet, what each one can reach, or what it did yesterday. Neo describes agents as acting with the employee's own access, so that most tools see the employee. Neo describes code, keys, and customer data reaching AI through prompts, pastes, uploads, and agent reads, with some tools training on what they receive. Neo describes MCP servers, skills, subagents, plugins, and extensions as arriving faster than anyone can review them, with already approved apps shipping new AI features without a review.^[5]

Neo Node enforces policy on the laptop, on macOS, Windows, and Linux. Neo Node deploys through the MDM a customer already runs, with no kernel module and no reboot, and decides each agent action with allow, ask, or block. Neo works as a layer inside the tool, in user land with no kernel component, where Neo sees the agent's actions and decides before they run. Inside Claude Code, Neo Node reads the model, MCP servers, skills and plugins that Claude Code loads. Neo Node reads the whole session rather than only the command. On managed endpoints, the hooks of Neo keep running if switched off and come back if deleted. Neo enforces before the action runs, at the tool call in tools with a Neo connector and at launch for the rest.^[5][6]

Neo Console starts from a customer's organization and its teams, taken from the identity provider. Neo Console finds settings that give an agent more reach than its work needs. Neo inventories every AI app, agent, and MCP server on each device, scopes what each can touch, and decides each action before it runs. Neo inventories every AI tool and model on devices, browsers, and SaaS, sanctioned or not, with owner, version, and publisher. Neo checks each tool's setup and version and flags drift from a customer's baseline. Neo decides every prompt, tool call, file access, and network request on the device before it runs.^[4][5][6]

Neoverse is the intelligence layer for AI apps and tools, and Neoverse is publicly available. Neoverse checks every extension, package, skill, and MCP server before it runs, and Neo blocks a hijacked or malicious release fleet-wide. Neoverse rates an unsigned server loaded by an agent as Unsafe on first sight. Neoverse rates as Malicious an MCP server that copies session memory to an outside store its listing never names, and Neo blocks it by policy when the agent loads it. Neo inspects data on the device before it reaches an AI tool, stops it or points the person to the approved tool, and flags tools set to train on a customer's data.^[5][6]

Neo covers ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Salesforce, and every other AI app that teams sign into, with work and personal accounts kept separate. Amazon Bedrock, Cursor Cloud, GitHub Actions, and n8n sit under the same policy as the laptop. A single killswitch in Neo ends every active AI agent session in the estate, and no new session can start until the switch is lifted. Neo can end every session, running or new, the moment several agents break from normal behavior at once. Neo follows the agent inside each tool on the endpoint and into the SaaS apps and cloud deployments it acts through, with one product and one policy for all AI security and control.^[1][4][5][6]

Neo on the record

Sources

C1.ai full record

[1]conductorone.comConductorOne (C1.ai) · conductorone.com · undated page, accessed November 2, 2026 · Tier A
[2]C1.ai | Put AI to WorkC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[3]AI-Native Identity Governance Solutions | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[4]Self-Service Access for Apps, MCPs, and AI Tools | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[5]Infrastructure Access - C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[6]Headless Identity Infrastructure | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[7]Identity Graph - C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[8]Automating access management and reducing risk for IGS Energy’s hybrid environment | C1.aiC1.ai · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
[9]Workday to Acquire C1.ai, a Leading Agentic Identity Platform for People and AgentsC1.ai · published October 13, 2026 · Tier A

Neo full record

[1]Neo launches with 100m to secure ai software across the enterpriseGlobeNewswire · globenewswire.com · published July 20, 2026 · Tier A
[2]neo.aiNeo · neo.ai · undated page, accessed November 9, 2026 · Tier A
[3]Neo | Secure AI. From Endpoint to EverywhereNeo · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
[4]Platform | NeoNeo · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
[5]Why Neo | AI Control Starts at the EndpointNeo · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
[6]How It Works | NeoNeo · undated page, accessed November 11, 2026 · Tier A
[7]Neo Launches With $100M for AI Software SecurityNeo · published July 20, 2026 · Tier A

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