CISO Tribune

Vendor comparison · 2 companies

Knostic vs Reco

Knostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork. Reco sells the Reco Platform, which gives security teams visibility into their entire third-party ecosystem so they can discover risks, prioritize what matters, and fix it. CISO Tribune files both under AI model and agent security and AI governance. 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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  • Knostic
  • Reco
Knostic vs Reco: Products, Customers and Funding Compared
KnosticKnostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork.knostic.aiRecoReco sells the Reco Platform, which gives security teams visibility into their entire third-party ecosystem so they can discover risks, prioritize what matters, and fix it.reco.ai
What it sells
  • Kirin[4][5][6][7][11]Runs on the endpoint inside supported agents. Denies or blocks unsafe agent actions.
  • AgentMesh[4][5][6][7][11]Rates every skill, server, and extension.
  • Reco Platform[1][5]A connected platform that combines agent runtime, agent security and agent governance with shared app and identity context.
  • Agent Runtime[1]Monitors agent activity and responds to threats as prompts and actions occur.
  • Agent Security[1]Discovers, assigns ownership to, and secures connected AI agents.
  • Agent Governance[1]Provides a view of an organization's agent ecosystem and lets teams govern it.
  • Application Discovery[9]Discovers applications in use and maps their connections.
  • Identity & Access GovernanceControls which identities can access which applications and data.
Categories
Headquarters
Reston, United States[3]Not stated on its pages
Founded
2023[2][7]Not stated on its pages
Ownership and funding
Privately held[5]Privately held[4]
Named customers
Not stated on its pagesNot stated on its pages
Recent news
  • June 12, 2026Knostic was recognized in the Cloud Security Alliance's first Agentic AI Security Innovator Market Map.[10]
  • September 29, 2026Reco said it raised $55 million, building on the $30 million Series B it announced in February.[16]
  • July 29, 2026Reco announced an expansion of AI Runtime in its platform, adding browser-based enforcement, real-time prompt analysis and blocking, and automated remediation.[3]
G2 and Gartner Peer Insights
  • G2: Not stated on its pages
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
  • G2: listed, seen November 10, 2026[4]
  • Gartner Peer Insights: Not stated on its pages
Who it fits
From its own pages, the company sells mainly to developers and teams that use AI coding agents and IDEs, with plans written for individual developers, growing teams, and engineering managers. Its pages describe developers and business users who install agents, extensions, MCP servers, and skills from open ecosystems. It lists an inventory export described as a register of AI systems for compliance and risk reporting. Its stated support covers macOS and Windows.From its own pages, Reco describes the Reco Platform as giving security teams visibility into their entire third-party ecosystem. Reco describes its security as built for the enterprise. On deployment, Reco supports enforcement through app-native hooks and endpoint controls, using either a customer's own gateway or the gateway from Reco.
Last verified
September 27, 2026October 7, 2026

Where they overlap

  • AI model and agent security is the primary category of both Knostic and Reco; both are also filed under AI governance.
  • Both are privately held.

Where they differ, field by field

  • Reco is also filed under SaaS security posture and Non-human identity security.
  • Knostic lists Kirin and AgentMesh. Reco lists Reco Platform, Agent Runtime, Agent Security, Agent Governance, Application Discovery and 1 more.
  • Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States.
  • Knostic was founded in 2023.

How they differ

CISO Tribune files both Knostic and Reco under AI model and agent security as their primary category, and both are privately held. Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States, and was founded in 2023. Knostic sells Kirin, which runs on the endpoint inside supported agents and denies or blocks unsafe agent actions, and AgentMesh, which rates every skill, server, and extension. Kirin deploys as an extension for Cursor and VS Code, and its stated support covers macOS and Windows.

Reco sells the Reco Platform, which combines agent runtime, agent security and agent governance with shared app and identity context. Reco also sells Application Discovery and Identity & Access Governance, which controls which identities can access which applications and data. Reco says it discovers agents across Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude, Agentforce, Make, n8n, and custom integrations.

Knostic centers on developers and teams that use AI coding agents and IDEs, while Reco describes visibility into an entire third-party ecosystem of apps, identities, and agents. On June 12, 2026, Knostic was recognized in the Cloud Security Alliance's first Agentic AI Security Innovator Market Map. On July 29, 2026, Reco announced an expansion of AI Runtime adding browser-based enforcement, real-time prompt analysis and blocking, and automated remediation. On September 29, 2026, Reco said it raised $55 million, building on the $30 million Series B it announced in February.

What it sells: Knostic

What Kirin does[4][5][6][7][11]
Kirin runs on the endpoint inside supported agents and sees the tools, extensions, servers, and skills actually installed and used. Kirin denies a destructive command before it executes, tells the developer why, and logs a Prevented alert for the SOC. Kirin blocks the connection to an MCP server before it is established, after AgentMesh scans and rates the server. Kirin deploys as an extension for Cursor and VS Code.
What AgentMesh does[4][5][6][7][11]
AgentMesh rates every skill, server, and extension. AgentMesh scans MCP servers for prompt injection, malicious behaviour, and supply-chain risk. AgentMesh detects prompt injection in skills, MCP servers, and extensions before install. Every paid AgentMesh plan includes Kirin IDE security.

Questions about Knostic and Reco

What do Knostic and Reco sell?
Knostic sells Kirin and AgentMesh. Reco sells Reco Platform, Agent Runtime, Agent Security, Agent Governance, Application Discovery and 1 more.
Are Knostic and Reco in the same category?
Yes. AI model and agent security is the primary category of both on CISO Tribune.
Where are Knostic and Reco headquartered?
Knostic is headquartered in Reston, United States.
When were Knostic and Reco founded?
Knostic was founded in 2023.
Who owns Knostic and Reco?
Knostic is privately held. Reco is privately held.
Who are Knostic and Reco sold to?
From its own pages, the company sells mainly to developers and teams that use AI coding agents and IDEs, with plans written for individual developers, growing teams, and engineering managers. From its own pages, Reco describes the Reco Platform as giving security teams visibility into their entire third-party ecosystem.
What have Knostic and Reco announced recently?
June 12, 2026: Knostic was recognized in the Cloud Security Alliance's first Agentic AI Security Innovator Market Map. September 29, 2026: Reco said it raised $55 million, building on the $30 million Series B it announced in February.

About Knostic

Knostic discovers and secures agents, coding assistants, and their supply chain, from MCP to skills and Code to Cowork. Knostic enforces rules by checking every action against policy before it runs, so allowed actions proceed and risky ones are blocked or sent to a human. Knostic applies least privilege to what agents do, watches every action as it happens, and blocks the unsafe ones before they execute.[1][6]

Kirin is the Knostic product that runs on the endpoint inside supported agents. Kirin sees the tools, extensions, servers, and skills actually installed and used. In one example, Kirin denies a destructive command before it executes, tells the developer why, and logs a Prevented alert for the SOC. AgentMesh rates every skill, server, and extension. Every paid AgentMesh plan includes Kirin IDE security.[4][6][11]

Knostic discovers every agent, model, and AI tool running across endpoints, attributes each to people and teams, and brings them under one policy. Knostic finds agents, extensions, MCP servers, and skills where they run, on the endpoint, rather than inferring from network logs. Discovery is passive, and policy can run in Monitor mode before anything is enforced. Discovered components are rated using AgentMesh verdicts and policy posture. Knostic maps which teams and individuals use which tools and what they can reach.[4][6]

Knostic describes one control plane for all agents, models, and AI tools. Knostic unifies and centrally governs agentic security policies and configurations. Teams can scope what agents may read, write, run, connect to, and install, per team. Knostic describes its guardrails for SaaS, in-house, coding, and Cowork agents.[1][6]

For prompt injection, Kirin catches the injection and blocks the action it would have caused. Kirin inspects what an agent is about to do, not just what it was told. Knostic scans prompts, retrieved context, and tool responses for injection and malicious instructions. Knostic catches credentials in prompts and outputs and blocks or redacts them, in Monitor or Enforce. Teams choose block, downgrade, route to a human, or log per rule and per team. For code, Knostic states that agents model threats before they code, follow secure coding rules, and have every package checked.[1][11]

Knostic keeps an up-to-date list of allowed MCP servers, with every connection validated in real time. Knostic flags deviations from policy or misconfigurations as they occur. AgentMesh continuously rescans the ecosystem, and Knostic research feeds new detections. Decision logs and runtime monitoring provide evidence for audits, incident response, and policy enforcement.[6]

Kirin supports Claude Code CLI, Claude Desktop and Cowork, Cursor, Windsurf, and VS Code + GitHub Copilot, on macOS and Windows, and Linux is in beta. Managers provision the console, push the endpoint client to the endpoints, directly or via an existing MDM, and start in Monitor mode. For Cursor and VS Code, Kirin deploys as an extension and requires the client for shadow AI visibility.

Kirin has three tiers, from individual developers to enterprise-wide rollouts. Knostic provides a package with SOC 2, pen test reports, and a data flow diagram in its trust center. Knostic Inc. is a company incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware.[4][8][9]

Knostic on the record

Sources

Knostic full record

  1. [1]Knostic - The control plane for agentic AI on the endpointKnostic · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]Ending llm oversharing we raised 11 million to secure enterprise aiKnostic · knostic.ai · undated page, accessed September 27, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Rsac 2025 innovation sandbox knostic reshaping the access control paradigm for enterprise ai securitySecurity Boulevard · securityboulevard.com · published April 25, 2025 · Tier B
  4. [4]Shadow AI Discovery & Governance - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  5. [5]Pricing - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]AI Agent Security - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]MCP Security Posture Management - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Terms of Service - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]Knostic Knostic Trust Center | Powered by SafeBaseKnostic · undated page, accessed October 26, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]Knostic Featured Across Three Categories in CSA's Agentic AI Security Innovator Market MapKnostic · published June 12, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Prompt Injection Defense - KnosticKnostic · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A

Reco full record

  1. [1]reco.aiReco · reco.ai · undated page, accessed October 7, 2026 · Tier A
  2. [2]NewsroomReco · reco.ai · undated page, accessed October 7, 2026 · Tier A
  3. [3]Reco enhances AI Runtime with browser-based AI security and automated remediationHelp Net Security · published July 29, 2026 · Tier B
  4. [4]Reco Reviews 2026: Details, Pricing, & Features | G2G2 · undated page, accessed October 31, 2026 · Tier C
  5. [5]Reco Platform: Secure Every App, Identity, and AI AgentReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  6. [6]AI Agent Security Platform | RecoReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  7. [7]AI Agent Security: Discover & Control Every AI AgentReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  8. [8]Reco AI Agent Runtime: Control Every Agent ActionReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  9. [9]AI-Powered Identity Access Governance | Secure SaaS at ScaleReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  10. [10]SaaS Security Posture Management – Continuous SSPM+ CoverageReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  11. [11]Continuous SaaS Compliance Monitoring & Coverage | RecoReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  12. [12]AI Governance & Security for SaaS ComplianceReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  13. [13]Generative AI Discovery for Shadow Tools, Agents & Data RisksReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  14. [14]SaaS App Factory™: Secure AI Agents & SaaS AppsReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  15. [15]SaaS Security Automation with AI AgentsReco · undated page, accessed November 10, 2026 · Tier A
  16. [16]Reco raises $55M as AI agent security startups crowd the market | TechCrunchTechCrunch · published September 29, 2026 · Tier B

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