Darwin AI has raised $15 million in Series A funding led by Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors UpWest and Resolute Ventures. The company provides AI governance and workflow automation tools designed specifically for public sector agencies navigating the complex intersection of innovation and compliance.
Brenda Harvey, former General Manager of IBM Public Sector and Federal and current Board Member at Nissan Motor Corporation, will join Darwin’s Board of Directors as part of the investment. Her experience in government technology and enterprise software adds strategic depth to Darwin’s mission of enabling safe, scalable AI adoption across U.S. agencies.
Addressing the Public Sector’s AI Compliance Challenge
Government agencies face mounting pressure to adopt AI while maintaining accountability, transparency, and compliance with existing regulations. Darwin tackles this challenge head-on with Darwin Govern, a centralized system that lets agencies establish policy, enforce records management, oversee data governance, and maintain compliance across their entire AI environment.
Once agencies have those guardrails in place, they can use LaunchPad—Darwin’s platform for creating and managing mission-specific automated workflows for HR, procurement, permitting, and other repetitive operational processes. The approach turns AI policy into practice rather than leaving it as aspirational documentation.
Expanding Across Key U.S. Markets
The Series A funding will accelerate development of Darwin Govern and LaunchPad while expanding deployment support across multiple states. Darwin plans to grow its policy, training, and implementation teams to serve increasing demand from agencies in Texas, Ohio, California, Illinois, and Washington.
The funding announcement comes on the heels of Darwin’s recognition in the Center for Public Sector AI’s inaugural AI 50 Awards. That recognition highlights the company’s leadership in building infrastructure that government agencies can actually deploy at scale.
“Agencies need to ensure AI adoption complies with existing regulations like public records laws, while also meeting emerging state and federal AI standards that require guardrails, inventories, and full visibility,” said Noam Maital, Co-founder and CEO of Darwin. “Darwin gives agencies a clear path to achieve compliance while accelerating innovation. The momentum we’re seeing from customers nationwide underscores how urgently this capability is needed.”
The Shadow AI Problem
Darwin’s research has uncovered a significant blind spot in government AI usage. More than 60% of AI activity in public agencies happens through unsupervised “shadow AI” tools—applications that operate outside official oversight and expose sensitive data and personally identifiable information to potential risks.
By centralizing visibility and enforcement, Darwin helps agencies regain control. The platform ensures that AI usage across departments aligns with both mission outcomes and compliance standards, eliminating the dangerous gap between policy and practice.
Why Insight Partners Invested
Insight Partners sees Darwin as uniquely positioned to capture what it views as a massive opportunity in public sector AI transformation. The firm’s investment thesis centers on Darwin’s practical approach to infrastructure that moves agencies beyond pilots into real operational deployment.
“The opportunity for AI in the public sector is massive, and Darwin is capturing it with practical infrastructure that allows government to move from pilots to real AI transformation,” said Jeff Horing, Co-founder and Managing Director at Insight Partners. “The Darwin team combines deep experience in government and technology with a sharp focus on execution. We look forward to supporting them as they build the foundation for AI in the public sector.”
Leadership Built for Government Technology
Darwin’s team brings specialized expertise in government technology, cybersecurity, and AI strategy. The company recently hired Dustin Haisler as Chief AI Officer and U.S. GM. Haisler brings over a decade of experience leading e.Republic and serving in CIO roles within the public sector—credentials that matter when selling into government agencies that demand vendors who understand their unique operational constraints.
That combination of government experience and technical capability differentiates Darwin in a market where many AI vendors struggle to translate commercial success into public sector traction. Darwin’s approach acknowledges that government agencies operate under different rules, timelines, and accountability structures than private companies.
Building the Foundation for Public Sector AI
Darwin AI works with government agencies to establish the infrastructure needed for safe and scalable AI deployment. Darwin Govern helps agencies ensure compliance with records and data standards, while Darwin LaunchPad enables them to build mission-specific automated workflows on that foundation.
The company has established itself as a nationally recognized leader in public sector AI governance by focusing on the unsexy but necessary work of compliance, policy enforcement, and data governance. While other AI companies chase flashy use cases, Darwin solves the fundamental infrastructure problems that prevent agencies from deploying AI at scale.
