While the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to remarkable progress, many organizations are keeping a closer eye on adoption speeds and data security.
In fact, 80% of companies cite data security as their top challenge in scaling AI. In response, 27% of organizations have banned generative AI tools altogether, 61% control which AI tools are allowed, and 63% limit the type of data employees can share with these tools. Addressing data security concerns will help more organizations adopt critical AI technology and stay ahead of the competition.
Solving the Data Security Dilemma
Credal.ai, is addressing this issue directly. Credal securely connects internal company data to large language models (LLMs) or popular applications like Slack, Notion or Salesforce while embedding relevant privacy, permissions, and compliance protocols. With Credal, companies can leverage cloud-based AI tools without compromising privacy.
“We help ensure that no sensitive information is sent to an LLM and enforce enterprise IT visibility and control policies when employees interact with these models,”
— Ravin Thambapillai, Co-Founder + CEO, Credal
Enterprises using Credal define acceptable use policies and designate team members to be notified if restricted data is attempted to be shared. For example, a company might restrict its HR department from using AI to review resumes and configure Credal to flag such occurrences, alerting users of policy violations.
Credal also offers a platform to create and deploy AI assistants with built-in security, access controls, and compliance features. Its enterprise chat portal allows employees to extract insights from company data using natural language.
There are different use cases across industries. For example, HR teams can use Credal for service desk assistants that answer queries about benefits or paid-time-off. Financial institutions can apply it to monitor transactions for fraud, and organizations of all types are using it to supercharge sales teams with contextual information they need to answer questions on the fly, slash ramp-up time for new hires, and help them close deals faster.
“We built Credal with privacy and security at its core because enterprises, especially those in regulated industries, need these safeguards to deploy AI successfully,” Thambapillai added.
Founding Vision
Credal’s journey began when Thambapillai and Jack Fischer worked together at Palantir, deploying AI predictive models in medical research.
“What would take 30 epidemiologists three days, we could do with generative models and two epidemiologists in a fraction of the time,” Thambapillai recalled.
After exploring other opportunities, Fischer and Thambapillai reunited for dinner in New York, where they discussed the challenges of enterprise AI adoption due to security and IT concerns. They realized this would become a major obstacle for businesses handling sensitive data.
They initially built Credal as a decision-making engine integrating company data to help executives create and implement better strategies. However, early customers were most interested in its security, privacy, and data integration capabilities. By 2023, they had pivoted to focus solely on this core offering, raising $4.8 million in seed funding.
Their security-first approach also addressed a critical AI issue: inaccurate outputs or “hallucinations”—a phenomenon experienced by using AI tools. Connecting internal data properly to LLMs significantly reduces errors.
“If you integrate internal enterprise data well, making it comprehensible to AI, you drastically lower the chances of mistakes,” Thambapillai explained.
Accelerating Success: How Credal Connected with Comcast NBCUniversal
In the fall of 2024, Credal participated in the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Enterprise Accelerator, a program that connects startups with Comcast business leaders interested in exploring partnerships. The Credal team found that previous program participants spoke highly of their collaborative experiences. Plus, they saw incredible value in meeting with Comcast team members to learn how they’re using AI and how Credal could be helpful.
“As a CEO, time is my most valuable resource. Meeting with teams at Comcast to understand real business challenges felt like a worthwhile investment,” said Thambapillai.
The Path Forward
Credal’s mission is to have AI adoption start with privacy and security at the forefront, helping companies to unlock AI’s full potential.
“I think a lot about how to get this technology into the hands of enterprises where it can make an impact. That’s why we prioritize regulatory and privacy aspects—because that’s what ultimately matters,”
— Ravin Thambapillai, Co-Founder + CEO, Credal
Going forward, Credal envisions AI assistants advancing beyond data retrieval to executing complex tasks such as initiating legal processes and streamlining compliance checks.
“We aim to move past deterministic processes that solve narrow problems toward agentic intelligence capable of handling broader tasks,” Thambapillai concluded. “This evolution could redefine what enterprise AI assistants can achieve.”
