Company context
Private, VC-backed
Open-source enterprise AI chat/search platform with 20k+ GitHub stars and public claims of dozens of enterprise customers
Vendor research
Onyx AI
Review what this vendor says publicly, the security topics those statements may support, what remains unverified, and factual company context. This is not an assessment of product effectiveness or fit.
Company scale
Emerging?
EmergingAn early-stage provider with less than $25M in known funding, or 50 or fewer employees without at least $50M in known funding.This is a company-scale signal, not a product-quality rating.
?
EmergingAn early-stage provider with less than $25M in known funding, or 50 or fewer employees without at least $50M in known funding.This is a company-scale signal, not a product-quality rating.A descriptive band derived from retained public revenue, workforce, ownership, or funding signals.
Company scale is separate from product features, effectiveness, and suitability.
- $10M known funding
- 11-50 employees
- Founded 2023
- Private-company revenue and profitability not sourced
Research coverageCounts describe available public research, not product quality.View details
- Vendor statements
- 19 records
- Source-checked records
- 15
- Evaluation requirements
- 19 in this research model
- Unresolved requirements
- 4
Company intelligence
Who is behind the product
Company facts provide evaluation context. Each signal is kept separate because tenure, workforce, funding, and hiring answer different questions.
Founded2023
HeadquartersSan Francisco, California public reporting; open-source / self-hosted deployment footprint
OwnershipPrivate, VC-backed
Employees11-50
Capital and scaleIndependent company
Onyx AI
- Known funding
- $10M
- Operating scale
- Open-source enterprise AI chat/search platform with 20k+ GitHub stars and public claims of dozens of enterprise customers
- Backing context
- $10M seed co-led by Khosla Ventures and First Round Capital, with participation from Y Combinator and angels
Seed · $10M · 2025-03-12
Named investors
Khosla Ventures · First Round Capital · Y Combinator
Founders and leadership2 people listed
- Chris WeaverCurrent role listed
Co-Founder
- Yuhong SunCurrent role listed
Co-Founder
Operating signalsRead each signal separately
There is no combined company rating. The company-scale label uses stated size thresholds; product features and effectiveness require separate evidence.
- Company tenure
- 2023
- Workforce scale
- 11-50
- Hiring activity
- Not displayed
A current count requires a retained, clickable source URL.
Core company facts have supporting public sources.
Company sources and research limits6 linked public sources
Only company facts supported by retained public sources are shown. Missing values remain unknown, and company scale does not establish product effectiveness.
Company sourceOnyx secure AI pageOnyx positions secure AI around self-hosted AI chat/search, strict permissions, SOC 2 Type II, regulated deployments, ACL sync, model controls, usage analytics, audit trails, and shadow-AI reduction.Company sourceOnyx seed-round announcementOnyx announced a $10M seed round co-led by Khosla Ventures and First Round Capital with Y Combinator and angels.Company sourceOnyx pricing page metadataOnyx site metadata identifies the company as founded in 2023 and formerly known as Danswer.Company information sourceOnyx company pageSupports the company facts shown in this profile.Company information sourceOnyx Y Combinator profileSupports the company facts shown in this profile.Company information sourceOnyx AI LinkedIn company profileSupports the company facts shown in this profile.
Solution areas
These areas describe how the vendor approaches enterprise AI security. They do not establish product quality or fit.
Buyer context
- Treat Onyx as a approved AI platform and shadow-AI reduction option, not as a replacement for independent AI security monitoring across ChatGPT Enterprise, Copilot, software as a service (SaaS) AI, endpoint, or network channels.
- Funding and focus point to an enterprise AI assistant/search company; the security story is narrower around self-hosting, permissions, usage analytics, model controls, Model Context Protocol (MCP) actions, application programming interface (API) keys, and rate limits.
- Buyer diligence should test data loss prevention (DLP), prompt inspection, third-party AI discovery, SIEM/SOAR export, and security-event integration before scoring it as an AI security control plane.
Related frameworks
Where public vendor statements relate to framework requirements
11 related frameworks · expand when needed
Related frameworks
Where public vendor statements relate to framework requirements
These links show related requirements for further review. They do not establish framework compliance or control implementation. Open the full framework crosswalk →
Current referenceCSA AI Controls Matrix
- Requirements with public support
- 14
- Related requirements
- 14
- References
- 71
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 12
- References
- 35
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 12
- References
- 71
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 13
- References
- 39
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 12
- References
- 39
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 12
- References
- 31
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 13
- References
- 31
- Requirements with public support
- 13
- Related requirements
- 13
- References
- 25
- Requirements with public support
- 12
- Related requirements
- 11
- References
- 58
- Requirements with public support
- 12
- Related requirements
- 11
- References
- 27
- Requirements with public support
- 5
- Related requirements
- 3
- References
- 3
Evaluation questions
What to verify beyond public claims
These questions come from security requirements with some public support. Use them as starting points for demonstrations, documentation review, customer references, or a buyer-observed pilot.
- 01Unapproved AI use discovery
An unmanaged AI app used by a test user appears in discovery inventory with user, app or domain, and timestamp.
- 02Unapproved AI use discovery
The test user's AI usage activity can be filtered or exported with AI-specific context.
- 03Approved AI usage monitoring
Approved AI workspace activity appears with user, workspace or tenant, model or provider, and timestamp.
- 04Approved AI usage monitoring
Prompt, model, or admin activity can be exported or correlated for the selected approved AI platform.
- 05Controls for unapproved AI use
A policy blocks, coaches, redirects, or contains a test interaction with an unapproved AI destination.
- 06Controls for unapproved AI use
The control event records policy reason, user, destination, action, and timestamp.
- 07Sensitive-data protection for generative AI
Sensitive prompt, response, or file test data is detected and classified during an AI interaction.
- 08Sensitive-data protection for generative AI
A policy redacts, blocks, coaches, or records the sensitive data event before it leaves the approved path.
Detailed security-requirement research18 evaluation items · supporting evidence and open research are shown separatelyExpand
Security requirementPublic supportRelated frameworksWhat to verify
Unapproved AI use discovery
Limited public supportDiscover and monitor workforce AI tools, accounts, prompts, domains, models, users, and usage outside approved controls.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
An unmanaged AI app used by a test user appears in discovery inventory with user, app or domain, and timestamp.
AI-feature discovery in business applications
No supporting claim foundInventory software as a service (SaaS) applications that embed AI features, expose enterprise data to AI capabilities, or create AI-driven data movement.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A software as a service (SaaS) app with an embedded AI feature appears in the software as a service (SaaS) AI inventory with app, provider, and feature context.
Approved AI usage monitoring
Strong public supportMonitor approved AI workspaces, tenants, gateways, and model platforms such as ChatGPT Enterprise, Claude Enterprise, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Vertex AI, Elvex, or internal AI gateways.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
Approved AI workspace activity appears with user, workspace or tenant, model or provider, and timestamp.
Controls for unapproved AI use
Limited public supportBlock, coach, redirect, or contain non-approved AI use and policy-violating AI interactions.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A policy blocks, coaches, redirects, or contains a test interaction with an unapproved AI destination.
Sensitive-data protection for generative AI
Limited public supportDetect, classify, redact, or block sensitive data in prompts, responses, files, retrieval, memory, and AI-connected workflows.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
Sensitive prompt, response, or file test data is detected and classified during an AI interaction.
Browser and business-application controls
Limited public supportApply session-level controls in browser and software as a service (SaaS) workflows, including uploads, downloads, copy/paste, sharing, and identity-aware access decisions.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A session-level policy controls upload, download, copy, paste, sharing, or form submission in a browser or software as a service (SaaS) workflow.
Generative AI application security
Limited public supportProtect enterprise-built large language model (LLM) applications, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, prompts, application programming interfaces (APIs), model calls, tools, and production runtime behavior.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test large language model (LLM) application event records prompt, application programming interface (API), model, retrieval, or tool interaction context.
AI governance, risk, and compliance
Limited public supportInventory AI systems and owners, translate policy and regulatory obligations into governed workflows, assess risk, manage approvals and exceptions, and retain audit evidence across the AI lifecycle.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test AI system is registered with owner, intended use, risk tier, lifecycle state, and applicable obligations.
AI assurance and adversarial testing
No supporting claim foundTest models, applications, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) systems, and agents before release and continuously thereafter using adversarial probes, evaluation suites, attack simulation, and security release gates.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A controlled test campaign exercises an AI model, application, or agent against named AI attack classes.
AI model and supply-chain security
No supporting claim foundDiscover, inventory, scan, validate, and monitor models, datasets, model artifacts, registries, dependencies, and AI development assets for tampering, unsafe serialization, provenance gaps, or malicious content.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test model or AI artifact appears in inventory with origin, version, hash or provenance, and deployment context.
AI gateway, tool-connection, and runtime controls
Limited public supportMediate model, agent, tool, application programming interface (API), connector, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) traffic through an enforcement point that applies identity-aware policy, content controls, routing, rate limits, and auditable allow or deny decisions.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A model, agent, tool, or Model Context Protocol (MCP) request passes through a named policy enforcement point.
Action-taking agent monitoring
Limited public supportObserve and govern agent plans, memory, tool calls, delegated tasks, autonomy, runtime decisions, and outcomes.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test agent run captures plan, steps, tool calls, outcome, and timestamps.
Agent-to-agent communication security
Limited public supportAuthorize, log, and control agent-to-agent, agent-to-tool, Model Context Protocol (MCP), connector, and tool-chain handoffs.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
An agent, tool, connector, or Model Context Protocol (MCP) handoff logs source identity, destination, and authorization decision.
Non-human identity and service-account security
Limited public supportInventory, least privilege, credential hygiene, monitoring, and lifecycle management for non-human identities, workloads, service accounts, application programming interface (API) keys, and machine credentials.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test service account, agent identity, or non-human identity appears in inventory with owner and privileges.
AI agent identity and permissions
Limited public supportRegister AI agents as accountable identities, bind them to owners and delegating users, authorize task- and tool-level access, issue short-lived credentials, review access, and revoke or suspend agent authority.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test agent is registered with a unique identity, accountable owner, purpose, and permitted resources.
AI coding-agent and workstation security
No supporting claim foundDiscover and govern AI coding agents, integrated development environment (IDE) assistants, command-line agents, skills, hooks, extensions, Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools, filesystem access, commands, network activity, secrets, and software-supply-chain actions on developer workstations and build environments.
NIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0CIS Critical Security ControlsISO/IEC 42001OWASP GenAI Security Solutions Landscape
A test coding agent and its skills, hooks, extensions, or Model Context Protocol (MCP) tools appear in an attributable inventory.
AI cost and usage controls
Limited public supportVisibility, attribution, budgeting, rate limiting, anomaly detection, and optimization for AI usage and spend across models, agents, workflows, and owners.
Commercial MetadataNIST AI RMF PlaybookNIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0ISO/IEC 42001OWASP Agentic AI Security Solutions Landscape
A controlled AI usage event is attributed to user, team, model, workflow, or owner with cost or token metrics.
Licensing model
Strong public supportPublicly discoverable commercial model such as per user, per seat, per app, per token, per integration, or enterprise platform license.
The vendor can map the sourced commercial model to per-user, per-seat, per-app, per-token, per-integration, or platform packaging.
Public sources
Vendor statements and quoted evidence
Showing the first 6 of 19 source records. Open additional records only when needed.
Onyx AI claims a approved self-hosted enterprise AI platform with organization and group sharing, permissions, usage analytics, model controls, auditability, and governed access to enterprise knowledge and actions.
Give your team an approved AI platform that actually works, so they stop pasting company data into ChatGPT.
Onyx AI materials reviewed did not provide a public product claim for automated adversarial testing, repeatable attack suites, model or agent red teaming, or release-gate evaluation.
No quoted source text is recorded for this claim.
Onyx AI materials reviewed did not establish model artifact scanning, provenance, signing, dependency or Model Context Protocol (MCP) component analysis, tamper detection, or model-registry release controls.
No quoted source text is recorded for this claim.
Onyx AI claims configurable agents with controlled Actions, data access, knowledge sources, and the ability for administrators to enable or disable Model Context Protocol (MCP) and OpenAPI actions.
Users have the flexibility to turn on or off the Actions that the Agent or LLM has access to.
Onyx AI claims organization and group-based agent sharing plus configurable knowledge and action permissions for enterprise agents.
Publish your Agent to your entire organization or share it with specific users or groups.
Onyx AI materials reviewed did not establish governance of coding-agent commands, developer-workstation files or networks, integrated development environment (IDE) extensions, skills, hooks, secrets, or package actions.
No quoted source text is recorded for this claim.
Show 13 additional evidence records
Onyx claims it can reduce shadow AI by giving users an approved AI platform, but it does not publicly claim independent discovery of third-party AI usage outside Onyx.
Give your team an approved AI platform that actually works, so they stop pasting company data into ChatGPT.
No public claim found for this capability.
No quoted source text is recorded for this claim.
Onyx claims usage analytics, query logs, feedback tracking, and query history for activity inside the Onyx AI platform.
Usage analytics, query logs, and feedback tracking across every team.
Onyx claims fine-grained language-model provider access controls and per-team model approvals inside Onyx, which partially maps to unapproved AI control.
Onyx provides fine-grained access control for language model providers, allowing administrators to control **who** can use specific models and **which agents** can use them.
Onyx claims self-hosted deployment, source-permission mirroring, and ACL sync to keep AI access aligned to existing data permissions.
Strict permission controls and your data never leaves your network.
Onyx claims permission-aware connectors, document-level permissions, SCIM/IdP integration, and ACL sync for users accessing connected enterprise knowledge.
Every query respects who can see what.
Onyx provides application programming interfaces (APIs), Model Context Protocol (MCP), connectors, and custom agents for building generative AI workflows, but does not publicly claim independent large language model (LLM) application security testing.
Full REST API, an MCP server, and a connector framework for custom data sources.
Onyx claims query history and usage analytics for messages and application programming interface (API)-key activity inside its agent/chat platform.
On the Query History page, you can see a log of all messages sent to Onyx.
Onyx claims controlled Model Context Protocol (MCP) actions for AI agents and admin selection of available tools, partially mapping to agent-to-tool security rather than broad agent-to-agent security.
Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables AI Agents to invoke tools and services in a controlled manner.
Onyx claims application programming interface (API) keys exist as distinct users so administrators can trace activity and manage permissions for programmatic access.
API Keys exist as distinct users in Onyx, allowing you to trace activity and manage permissions at the key level.
Onyx claims large language model (LLM) rate limits and throttling settings that can be applied globally, by user, or by user group.
Rate limits can be applied globally, by User, or by User Group.
Onyx publishes a Business plan price at $20 per user per month and an Enterprise plan with flexible pricing and deployment options.
per user / month
Onyx positions itself as a approved enterprise AI platform alternative to ChatGPT Enterprise, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, and Glean rather than a third-party AI security monitoring layer.
Why choose Onyx over ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini, or Glean?