SandboxAQ applies AI and advanced computing to problems in cybersecurity, scientific simulation and sensing. In security, its focus is cryptography: helping large enterprises and government agencies find every key, certificate and algorithm they rely on, understand the risk each one carries, and prepare for post-quantum threats.
Its security work is aimed at security and infrastructure teams who know that today’s encryption will need replacing before quantum computers can break it, but cannot yet say where all of it lives.
At A Glance
| Vendor | SandboxAQ |
|---|---|
| Category | Cryptographic posture management, PKI and certificate lifecycle |
| Identities covered | Keys, certificates, algorithms and non-human identities used by AI agents |
| Agentic AI | Non-human identity discovery and protection for AI agents, GenAI compliance assistant |
| Certifications | FedRAMP Ready, SOC 2 Type I (AQtive Guard), ISO/IEC 27001 |
| Customers | U.S. Air Force, Department of Health and Human Services, Mount Sinai, Cloudera |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Market classification | PKI & Certificate Lifecycle; also NHI Platforms & Machine Identity |
What SandboxAQ Does
The problem SandboxAQ addresses is finding every cryptographic asset an organisation runs, including shadow keys and hidden algorithms, understanding the risk attached to each, and then moving to post-quantum algorithms under mandates such as CNSA 2.0 without disrupting production. AQtive Guard is built to “secure every cryptographic asset and ensure PQC readiness”, taking teams from inventory through risk analysis to remediation and evidence for auditors.
Outside cybersecurity, SandboxAQ develops Large Quantitative Models and applies them to drug discovery, material discovery, medical sensing and navigation.
Products
AQtive Guard
AQtive Guard is a cryptographic posture management platform for security, PKI and compliance teams who need oversight of cryptography from end to end.
| Inventory | Discovers managed certificates, hidden algorithms and shadow keys automatically, without manual audits. |
|---|---|
| Risk context | Maps every key, certificate and algorithm to its owners, its dependencies and the blast radius. |
| Runtime view | Uses network analysis and runtime tracing to show which cryptography is actually in use in production. |
| Remediation | Orchestrates key rotations, algorithm replacements and PQC migrations without breaking production. |
| Compliance reporting | Produces Cryptography Bills of Materials (CBOMs) that show progress against CNSA 2.0, NIST mandates and internal policy. |
REAQT And Large Quantitative Models
Large Quantitative Models “use physics, chemistry, and proprietary scientific data to generate real-world outcomes”. REAQT is the platform that runs these models, letting SandboxAQ serve several industries, such as drug and material discovery, from one system.
AQNav And AQMed
AQNav is a magnetic navigation product for situations where GPS is unavailable. It has been installed on Northrop Grumman’s Lumberjack drone for GPS-denied operations. AQMed applies SandboxAQ’s sensing work to medicine.
How It Works
AQtive Guard is a cloud-based platform designed for quick deployment. It builds its inventory from three kinds of evidence: scans of infrastructure and code repositories, data ingested in one step from security tools already in place, such as firewall logs and endpoint telemetry, and tracing of live traffic and processes. Because existing telemetry is reused, the inventory starts to fill from the first hour of use. Findings then flow to remediation workflows and to CBOM reports aligned to CNSA 2.0 and NIST guidance, including FIPS 203, 204 and 205.
Identities And Systems Covered
| Certificates | Managed certificates across the infrastructure, with renewal. |
|---|---|
| Cryptographic keys | Managed and shadow keys, with rotation. |
| Algorithms and libraries | Hidden and deprecated algorithms and the libraries that implement them, with replacement and PQC migration. |
| Non-human identities | NHIs and credentials used by AI agents. |
Agentic AI Capabilities
Non-Human Identity Discovery And Protection
AQtive Guard also manages and secures non-human identities and the cryptographic assets used by AI agents. A Discover module inventories NHIs alongside keys, certificates, algorithms and libraries, and a Protect module automates remediation such as credential rotation and certificate renewal. The FedRAMP Ready edition carries the same visibility into, and remediation of, weaknesses tied to AI agents and their credentials, which matters for agencies adopting agents.
GenAI Assistant
AQtive Guard includes a GenAI assistant that helps with compliance questions and prioritises findings, built on the company’s Large Quantitative Models.
Integrations
| Area | Integrations |
|---|---|
| Cloud | AWS |
| Code and DevOps | GitHub, GitLab |
| IT service management | ServiceNow |
| Security tools | SentinelOne, Qualys, Palo Alto Networks (firewall logs), CrowdStrike Falcon (endpoint data) |
Company Background
| Founded | 2022, as a spin-off from Alphabet. |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Palo Alto, California. |
| Leadership | Jack Hidary, CEO. |
| Funding | A Series E of more than $450 million, closed in April 2025. |
| Government | A definitive agreement for a “$500 Million CHIPS R&D Award”, and a five-year agreement under which the Department of War CIO uses AQtive Guard for automated cryptographic discovery and inventory. |
Note: This overview is compiled from SandboxAQ’s publicly available information as of 3 November 2026. It is provided for information only. NHI Mgmt Group does not endorse any vendor, and nothing on this page represents the opinions of NHI Mgmt Group.