IronCircle, a newly formed AI-driven cybersecurity workforce platform, has officially launched with a mission to redefine how organizations and academic institutions build and train cyber talent. Industry expert James C. Foster has been appointed CEO and joins the company’s Board of Directors. The launch is supported by strategic investors including Francisco Partners, NightDragon, Foster himself, and others.
Built from assets carved out of global cybersecurity education provider ThriveDX, IronCircle aims to close the growing cyber talent gap by uniting human expertise with AI-powered solutions. The platform delivers scalable, career-aligned cybersecurity education for enterprises and universities through adaptive AI and hands-on training without requiring additional technical infrastructure.
“In this cyber paradigm where attackers have an advantage, organizations have traditionally faced a binary choice: hire more talent or buy more security software to reduce risk,” said Foster. “And unfortunately, the cyber talent gap is growing by the year… We see an opportunity with our strategic partners to create a new dimension whereby well-trained human and synthetic talent leveraged together can create accelerated outcomes.”
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Unlike traditional platforms that tack on AI, IronCircle was designed from the ground up to integrate AI agents — dubbed IronCircle Operatives — that tailor real-time, context-aware guidance and realistic simulations based on a user’s role, experience, and challenges. This makes it a unique tool for both developing the cyber workforce and strengthening organizational defenses.
“IronCircle is playing a critical role in helping to both train AI-enabled talent and provide organizations with the cutting-edge resources they need to protect themselves,” noted Peter Gingold, Managing Director at Francisco Partners.
Dave DeWalt, Founder and CEO of NightDragon, added, “We’re not just building something new, we’re building something essential. IronCircle has the potential to become the go-to platform for building the next generation cyber workforce.”
