From War Rooms to Automated Storytelling
A new cybersecurity startup called QueryStory has stepped out of stealth mode, announcing $6 million in seed funding to commercialize a platform that translates complex security data into readable stories. The company, founded by former Google engineer Shapor Naghibzadeh, aims to help security teams make faster decisions by presenting AI-generated insights in plain language rather than raw logs or technical dashboards.
Breaking news
Eufy Unveils Local AI Home Security Ecosystem at IFA
The Rapid Evolution of Data Center Security in the AI Era
The High-Voltage Risks Facing Modern AI Data Centers
Apple’s New CEO Renames Lake Ontario To Lake America In Maps AppNaghibzadeh first saw the need for clearer data storytelling during his time at Google in 2009. While investigating Operation Aurora, a wave of state-sponsored cyberattacks traced to China, he was summoned to a crisis room where executives struggled to understand what was happening inside the company’s servers. „We had all the data, but nobody could read it fast enough to act,” he recalled. That experience planted the seed for a tool that could turn fragmented security telemetry into coherent, actionable narratives.
QueryStory’s platform pulls information from firewalls, intrusion detection systems, endpoint sensors, and cloud environments, then uses large language models to stitch that data into timeline-based reports. Instead of requiring analysts to parse dozens of dashboards, the system generates summaries that explain who did what, when, and why—often in under a minute. Early customers include midsize financial firms and healthcare providers that lack the staffing for large security operations centers.
Can AI Be Trusted to Tell the Truth About Threats?
The startup plans to use its seed funding to expand its engineering team and refine its models for regulated industries. Investors include SYN Ventures and Unusual Ventures, both of whom declined to comment on specific terms. QueryStory currently employs 15 people and expects to double that headcount by year-end.
Critics argue that relying on generative AI for security analysis introduces new risks, including hallucinated alerts or missed context. Naghibzadeh acknowledges the concern but says QueryStory is built with guardrails. „We don’t just summarize—we cite sources,” he said. „Every claim links back to a log entry or alert so analysts can verify.” The company also limits its models to internal data, avoiding public datasets that could skew results.
Despite skepticism, demand for automated threat analysis continues to grow. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 60% of large enterprises will use AI-driven security platforms, up from just 15% in 2022. QueryStory hopes its narrative-first approach will stand out in a crowded market dominated by established players like Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel.
Looking ahead, QueryStory faces the challenge of proving that its storytelling engine can keep pace with evolving threats. If it succeeds, the startup could redefine how organizations understand and respond to cyber risk—not by adding more alerts, but by making sense of the ones they already have.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problem does QueryStory solve? Security teams are overwhelmed by fragmented data from multiple tools. QueryStory aggregates that data and uses AI to generate plain-language narratives, helping analysts quickly grasp what happened during an incident.
Who founded QueryStory? Shapor Naghibzadeh, a former Google systems engineer who worked on Operation Aurora investigations. His experience in high-pressure cyber incidents inspired the company’s focus on readable, story-based security insights.
How much funding has QueryStory raised? The startup has raised $6 million in seed funding from investors including SYN Ventures and Unusual Ventures. The funds will support product development and hiring through 2025.
