Survey Finds 80% of Cybersecurity Investors Plan to Increase AI Investment in 2026, But Demand Proof of Cost Reductions | National | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware

“AI is one of the largest technology shifts the cybersecurity industry has experienced, arguably even bigger than the move to cloud,” said Kumar Saurabh, CEO of AirMDR. “It’s fundamentally changing the economics of security services by automating work that previously required entire teams of analysts. As that happens, investors and customers alike are shifting their focus from buying tools or services to buying outcomes, which means companies will have to prove their AI can deliver real operational results, not just add AI to existing products.”

Key findings from the report include:

• 80% of investors plan to increase AI cybersecurity investment in 2026, signaling continued strong confidence in the market.

• 71% of investors expect decisive ROI evidence within three years before backing AI cybersecurity companies.

• 42% say reducing total cybersecurity costs is the strongest driver of enterprise AI adoption, reflecting pressure to deliver measurable operational impact.

• 54% say investments in AI “wrappers” have already disappointed and 52% say they are actively avoiding narrow AI point solutions, favoring more defensible platforms instead.

• 36% expect incumbents to acquire emerging AI native startups this year.

The findings suggest the market is shifting away from AI hype and entering a more disciplined phase of AI investment. Investors are bullish about AI-native platforms that reduce security costs and automate security operations, while skeptical of “AI wrappers” bolted on AI tools, startups that don’t offer differentiation, and narrow point solutions.

AI-Native Startups Are Poised to Lead The Next Cycle of AI Investments

The survey shows that startups built from the ground up as AI-native platforms have a significant advantage. Unlike legacy providers that layer AI onto existing products or offer narrow, point-solution functionality, AI-native vendors can streamline security operations, reduce total cybersecurity costs, and deliver consistent, scalable outcomes. These capabilities make them more defensible in the eyes of investors and better positioned to capture enterprise adoption quickly.

“Flat budgets favor AI-native, ROI-proven vendors,” said one managing director at a venture capital firm who took the survey. “It drives investment discipline – it filters out the convenience plays and rewards real operational impact.”

Security Operations and MDR Under the Spotlight

Within cybersecurity, investors are concentrating the most attention on security operations, with 43% identifying SecOps as the AI cybersecurity segment they are most bullish on. In this area, AI has the potential to automate alert triage, reduce analyst workload, and address the persistent shortage of skilled security talent.

At the same time, the research highlights growing scrutiny around managed detection and response (MDR), a category that investors see as both promising and difficult to evaluate.

As AI-driven automation reshapes how security operations centers function, AI-powered MDR providers that can demonstrate measurable threat reduction, operational efficiency, and consistent service quality are expected to be best positioned to capture investor interest.

“The MDR market is crowded, and one of the biggest challenges for buyers is separating quality and real capability from contractual terms or marketing claims,” Saurabh continued. “We believe the only way to close the trust gap is through high-caliber, transparent investigations, and letting buyers experience the outcomes before they commit.”

The AI Cybersecurity Market Is Heading Toward Coexistence, Then Consolidation

Looking ahead, investors expect the AI cybersecurity market to evolve through a period of coexistence between startups and incumbents before consolidation accelerates.

58% of investors expect AI-native startups and incumbents to coexist over the next 2-3 years while 36% expect incumbents to acquire emerging AI native startups.

The findings suggest that the next winners of AI investment will be the companies that establish clear differentiation and deliver measurable operational impact early.

This research was conducted in February 2026 among 125 active investment decision-makers at VC firms, private equity firms, family offices, and corporate venture arms with cybersecurity as an active or primary focus area. All percentages represent unique respondents. Open-text responses are referenced throughout the research report.

AirMDR offers an AI MDR service and AI SOC platform for MSSPs that combine agentic AI with human expertise to deliver minutes-fast alert investigations and transparent, audit-ready cases – all using the tools customers already have. Our MDR service is designed for lean security teams and provides 24/7 coverage, while our AI SOC platform supports MSSP teams looking to accelerate response and maintain consistent outcomes at scale. Learn more at https://airmdr.com/.