CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

C1.ai vs Permiso

C1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime. Permiso's Universal Identity Graph connects every identity to the credentials it owns, the machines it creates, the agents it runs and every action it takes in real time. CISO Tribune files both under Non-human identity 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
  • Permiso
C1.ai vs Permiso: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
C1.aiC1.ai gives agents policy-controlled access to models, tools, and credentials at runtime.c1.aiPermisoPermiso's Universal Identity Graph connects every identity to the credentials it owns, the machines it creates, the agents it runs and every action it takes in real time.permiso.io
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.
  • Permiso Discover[3]Provides an inventory of human, non-human and AI identities wherever they live.
  • Permiso Protect[3]Evaluates the risk posture of identities based on usage patterns, exposure and entitlements.
  • Universal Identity Graph[3][11]Connects every identity to the credentials it owns, the machines it creates and the agents it runs.
  • Identity Threat Detection and Response[7]Detects threats to human and non-human identities across environments.
  • Identity Runtime Attribution[3]Ties agent runs, events and tool calls to the identity behind them.
  • SandyClaw[11]Runs agent skills in a controlled sandbox.
Categories
Headquarters
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Founded
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Not stated on its pagesOwned by Okta since 2026[2][5]
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]
  • July 30, 2026Okta said it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Permiso Security, a startup whose software detects attackers abusing identities across cloud, SaaS and AI agent environments.[14]
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
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.Its platform is described for identities across cloud, SaaS and on-prem environments. Permiso presents its tools to security teams. Its watchlist capability is aimed at threats from employees, contractors and other trusted individuals.
Last verified
November 2, 2026November 2, 2026

Where they overlap

  • C1.ai and Permiso are both filed under Non-human identity security.

Where they differ, field by field

  • C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration; Permiso's is Identity threat detection and response.
  • C1.ai is also filed under Privileged access management and AI model and agent security. Permiso is also filed under Cloud detection and response.
  • C1.ai lists AI-Native Identity Governance, NHI & Identity Security, Agent SSO & Runtime Governance, Apps & MCP Self Service, Deploy Custom Agents and 1 more. Permiso lists Permiso Discover, Permiso Protect, Universal Identity Graph, Identity Threat Detection and Response, Identity Runtime Attribution and 1 more.
  • Permiso is owned by Okta, since 2026.

What it sells: Permiso

What Permiso Discover does[3]
Permiso Discover gives enterprises an inventory of human, non-human and AI identities wherever they live. Permiso inventories identities and assesses exposure risk in identity providers, cloud service providers and SaaS applications.
What Permiso Protect does[3]
Permiso Protect continuously evaluates the risk posture of identities based on usage patterns, exposure and entitlements. Permiso Protect surfaces and quantifies high-risk identities, stale access and toxic combinations across human, vendor, AI and non-human accounts.
What Universal Identity Graph does[3][11]
The Universal Identity Graph connects every identity to the credentials it owns, the machines it creates, the agents it runs and every action it takes in real time. Permiso states that the chain stays unbroken from a human SSO login to a Lambda function to an MCP tool call. Permiso's Universal Identity Graph inventories identities in all cloud environments and assesses exposure risk.
What Identity Threat Detection and Response does[7]
Permiso provides identity threat detection and response for human and non-human identities across environments. The detection engine has 1500+ detection rules engineered by the P0 Labs team. Permiso detects access and behavioral anomalies in environments such as AWS, Azure, GCP, GitHub, Slack and Salesforce.
What Identity Runtime Attribution does[3]
Permiso launched AI agent runtime security, bringing Identity Runtime Attribution to every agent in production. Permiso ties every run, event and tool call to the identity behind it in real time. Every agent action is tied to a specific human, non-human or AI identity in real time and is preserved as a complete audit trail.
What SandyClaw does[11]
SandyClaw runs every skill in a controlled sandbox before it touches the environment. SandyClaw records every action, every tool call and every downstream request.

Questions about C1.ai and Permiso

What do C1.ai and Permiso 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. Permiso sells Permiso Discover, Permiso Protect, Universal Identity Graph, Identity Threat Detection and Response, Identity Runtime Attribution and 1 more.
Are C1.ai and Permiso in the same category?
They share Non-human identity security. C1.ai's primary category is Identity governance and administration and Permiso's is Identity threat detection and response.
Who owns C1.ai and Permiso?
Permiso is owned by Okta, since 2026.
Who are C1.ai and Permiso 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. Its platform is described for identities across cloud, SaaS and on-prem environments.
What have C1.ai and Permiso 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 30, 2026: Okta said it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Permiso Security, a startup whose software detects attackers abusing identities across cloud, SaaS and AI agent environments.

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

Permiso full record

  1. [1]permiso.ioPermiso · permiso.io · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Okta signs definitive agreement to acquire permiso securityOkta · okta.com · published August 26, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Detect and protect against human and non-human identity threats in real-timePermiso · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  4. [4]Identity Security Posture Management + Identity Threat Detection & ResponsePermiso · undated page, accessed October 27, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Coverage across cloud environments to better secure the attack surfacePermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]Human and Non-Human Identity Inventory, Risk Posture and GovernancePermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR) for Human and Non-Human IdentitiesPermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]How Permiso Detects Compromised Credentials In Your EnvironmentPermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]What Are Non-Human Identities? Complete Guide to NHI Security for 2025Permiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Non-Human Identity (NHI) Threat Detection and ResponsePermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Secure Every AI Agent, Skill, and Action | PermisoPermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]Security - At Permiso, we don't take security lightlyPermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Learn about how we make cloud zeros into cloud heroes | PermisoPermiso · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]Okta to acquire Permiso Security in reported $200M identity security deal - SiliconANGLESiliconANGLE · published July 30, 2026 · Tier B

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