Living Security team, courtesy photo.

Big companies can struggle with how to engage their employees in cybersecurity training.

Living Security, based in Austin, has a novel approach that focuses on behavioral design and gamification to educate employees about cyber threats in the workplace and how to avoid them.

The startup has created the Cyber Security Escape Room training for employees in an actual room in real life that involves problem-solving, puzzles in a fun and engaging environment. It also recently created Cyber Escape, a digital training platform.

Ashley Rose, CEO of Living Security, founded the company in 2017 with her husband Drew, who has spent 12 years in the Cybersecurity industry including seven years as a military intelligence systems engineer in the Army National Guard. They both previously worked at a cybersecurity company together.

This week, Living Security announced it has closed a $1.25 million seed round with Active Capital, a San Antonio-based firm, leading the round. It also includes investment from Cathexis Ventures and Capital Factory. The company previously closed a $500,000 seed round investment in August.

Active Capital invested in Living Security’s pre-seed round and has gotten to know them and really likes their products and the market they are tackling, said Pat Matthews, the firm’s founder, and CEO.

“I think they are going after a big market,” Matthews said. “Think about all the Cybersecurity threats facing us. There is still a majority of hacks and threats that come through the workplace from everyday mistakes employees make. That is how bad guys get in.”

“What I like about what they are doing – they are building a new approach to how security training happens in the enterprise,” Matthews said. “A gamified platform that makes training engaging and informative.”

Living Security has gotten in the door with several major companies with its physical escape room challenge approach and they are building a lot of relationships, Matthews said.

“I think the timing could potentially be perfect,” Matthews said. “It’s gamified entertaining software that people are going to enjoy. That’s how all people learn today. I think it’s brilliant to take this approach into the enterprise with a focus on a security awareness.”

Living Security is working with over 50 companies, many of which are in the Fortune 500. Its customers include CVS Health, American Campus Communities, International Association of Security Awareness Professionals, InnoTech.

The company plans to use the new funds for continued product growth and go-to-market execution, Rose said.

Living Security wants to decrease human error–the greatest cybersecurity risk enterprises face–through immersive and intelligence-driven training solutions, Rose said.

Living Security is part of the Capital Factory accelerator and Darkfield, a Cybersecurity focused accelerator, based in Denver.