Key Takeaways
- • Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has incubated Securing America's Infrastructure Foundation (SAIF), a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers AI-based cybersecurity tools, hands-on support, and training at no cost to public institutions.
- • SAIF launches with $25 million in committed funding from a16z's founding partners and plans to scale to roughly 5-10 anchor cities over five years.
- • The initial pilot will involve two small cities in different geographic regions, with a sector focus on the nation's roughly 1,800 rural hospitals.
- • Anne Neuberger, former Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, will lead the effort and initially run the nonprofit as a volunteer.
- • The foundation's board includes cybersecurity and public-sector leaders such as Brian Barrios (Southern California Edison), Bob Lord, and Phil Venables.
Summary
Securing America's Infrastructure Foundation (SAIF) is a new 501(c)(3) nonprofit incubated by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), according to the founding announcement by Anne Neuberger. The organization aims to address a gap in which small municipalities, school districts, and rural hospitals face frequent ransomware attacks and data breaches but lack the budget, staff, and technical capacity to defend themselves or to adopt AI tools that could improve services and security.
Rather than operating as a traditional grants program, SAIF will deliver software, hands-on training, and cyber incident response at no cost to recipients. The model is described as closer to forward-deployed engineering than conventional philanthropy, with experts embedding with organizations to establish defenses and remain long enough to ensure the capability persists. The first-year focus is deliberately narrow, centered on AI-based cybersecurity, digital literacy, and responsible AI use for public benefit. Recipient selection will weigh leadership buy-in, digital vulnerability, infrastructure readiness, and community diversity.
SAIF will launch with a pilot in two small cities in different geographic regions and has identified rural hospitals as a priority sector, given that many serve as the sole providers in their communities. The organization is backed by $25 million in committed funding from a16z's founding partners and aims to reach roughly 5-10 anchor cities over five years.
Neuberger will initially serve as a volunteer leader while the foundation builds its founding team, with an executive director to be hired over time. The announced board includes Brian Barrios, Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Southern California Edison; Stephen Goldsmith of Harvard's Kennedy School; Bob Lord, former Twitter first security hire, Yahoo CISO, and CISA senior technical advisor; Vishal Misra of Columbia Engineering; and Phil Venables, former Goldman Sachs CISO and Google Cloud founding CISO, now a Partner at Ballistic Ventures. Organizations seeking support can contact [email protected].
Rather than operating as a traditional grants program, SAIF will deliver software, hands-on training, and cyber incident response at no cost to recipients. The model is described as closer to forward-deployed engineering than conventional philanthropy, with experts embedding with organizations to establish defenses and remain long enough to ensure the capability persists. The first-year focus is deliberately narrow, centered on AI-based cybersecurity, digital literacy, and responsible AI use for public benefit. Recipient selection will weigh leadership buy-in, digital vulnerability, infrastructure readiness, and community diversity.
SAIF will launch with a pilot in two small cities in different geographic regions and has identified rural hospitals as a priority sector, given that many serve as the sole providers in their communities. The organization is backed by $25 million in committed funding from a16z's founding partners and aims to reach roughly 5-10 anchor cities over five years.
Neuberger will initially serve as a volunteer leader while the foundation builds its founding team, with an executive director to be hired over time. The announced board includes Brian Barrios, Vice President and Chief Security Officer at Southern California Edison; Stephen Goldsmith of Harvard's Kennedy School; Bob Lord, former Twitter first security hire, Yahoo CISO, and CISA senior technical advisor; Vishal Misra of Columbia Engineering; and Phil Venables, former Goldman Sachs CISO and Google Cloud founding CISO, now a Partner at Ballistic Ventures. Organizations seeking support can contact [email protected].
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