CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

C1.ai vs NowSecure

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. NowSecure sells mobile application risk management software that analyzes compiled iOS and Android app binaries on real devices to find hidden AI, risky SDKs, vulnerabilities and data flows. 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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Up to four companies side by side.

  • C1.ai
  • NowSecure
C1.ai vs NowSecure: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
C1.aiC1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime.c1.aiNowSecureNowSecure sells mobile application risk management software that analyzes compiled iOS and Android app binaries on real devices to find hidden AI, risky SDKs, vulnerabilities and data flows.nowsecure.com
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.
  • Mobile Application Risk Management[1][2][3][5]Continuously assesses apps a company builds and third-party apps its workforce uses.
  • Dynamic Mobile SBOM[7]Generates SBOMs from binary analysis of iOS, Android and hybrid apps.
  • NowSecure Privacy[8]Protects sensitive data and minimizes compliance exposure in mobile apps.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesChicago, United States[1]
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
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]
  • April 28, 2026NowSecure announced Mobile App Risk Intelligence (MARI), giving enterprises evidence-based visibility into third-party mobile apps, including hidden AI components and data flows.[13]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 4, 2026[4]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
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, NowSecure sells mainly to enterprises that build, use and manage mobile apps. NowSecure addresses privacy, compliance and AI governance roles. NowSecure addresses AppSec, DevSecOps and mobile engineering roles. NowSecure addresses workforce app and third-party risk roles. NowSecure says financial institutions are accountable for every component shipped to production. NowSecure helps federal, local and state agencies deliver secure mobile apps.
Last verified
November 2, 2026September 27, 2026

Where they overlap

  • C1.ai and NowSecure 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; NowSecure's is Mobile security.
  • C1.ai is also filed under Non-human identity security and Privileged access management.
  • C1.ai lists AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. NowSecure lists Mobile Application Risk Management, Dynamic Mobile SBOM and NowSecure Privacy.
  • NowSecure is headquartered in Chicago, United States.

What it sells: NowSecure

What Mobile Application Risk Management does[1][2][3][5]
NowSecure gives enterprises continuous visibility into the security, privacy, compliance, and AI risk inside the mobile apps they build, use, and manage. Findings are based on what shipped apps do on real devices at runtime.
What Dynamic Mobile SBOM does[7]
NowSecure inspects compiled iOS, Android, and hybrid apps to identify every dependency, framework, and SDK actually present. It generates SBOMs for each build, storing version history and provenance.
What NowSecure Privacy does[8]
NowSecure Privacy protects sensitive data, minimizes compliance exposure, and maintains trust. NowSecure describes continuous mobile privacy testing as identifying excessive permissions, hidden data sharing, insecure SDK behaviors, and policy violations across iOS and Android applications.

Questions about C1.ai and NowSecure

What do C1.ai and NowSecure 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. NowSecure sells Mobile Application Risk Management, Dynamic Mobile SBOM and NowSecure Privacy.
Are C1.ai and NowSecure in the same category?
They share AI model and agent security. C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration and NowSecure's is Mobile security.
Where are C1.ai and NowSecure headquartered?
NowSecure is headquartered in Chicago, United States.
Who are C1.ai and NowSecure 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, NowSecure sells mainly to enterprises that build, use and manage mobile apps.
What have C1.ai and NowSecure 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. April 28, 2026: NowSecure announced Mobile App Risk Intelligence (MARI), giving enterprises evidence-based visibility into third-party mobile apps, including hidden AI components and data flows.

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

Sources

C1.ai full record

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

NowSecure full record

  1. [1]Nowsecure launches ai data partner program to expand mobile application risk intelligence for security platformsNowSecure · nowsecure.com · published March 18, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]nowsecure.comNowSecure · nowsecure.com · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Enterprise Mobile App Security & AI Governance | NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]NowSecure Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features - G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier C
  5. [5]Mobile App Risk Management Platform & Programs | NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Mobile app security testing (MAST) for iOS & Android | NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Dynamic SBOM for iOS and Android Mobile Apps | NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Mobile Application Privacy Testing | NowSecure PrivacyNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Mobile App Security Standards & Compliance | NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Financial Services - NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Government - NowSecureNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Request NowSecure SOC 2 ReportNowSecure · undated page, accessed November 4, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]NowSecure Launches MARI to Close the AI Governance Gap in Third-Party Mobile AppsNowSecure · published April 28, 2026 · Tier A

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