1Password buys access-governance firm Apono to manage AI agent permissions
Toronto-based 1Password has acquired Apono, a New York company that grants and revokes access to corporate systems on demand, the companies announced June 15. 1Password did not disclose the price.
The deal pushes one of Canada's largest security software companies further from consumer password storage into enterprise access control, a market that is being reshaped as businesses deploy AI agents that need credentials of their own.
What Apono adds
Apono's software handles what the industry calls just-in-time access: instead of leaving permanent admin rights in place, it evaluates a request against policy, grants access for a set period and removes it automatically when the work is done. 1Password said it will keep Apono available as a standalone product and integrate its technology into its Unified Access platform, which it launched in March to discover, secure and audit credentials used by people, machines and AI agents.
Chief executive David Faugno told BetaKit the acquisition was "a critical unlock" for the company's strategy and would accelerate its product road map. The announcement coincided with a beta release of 1Password's Credential Broker, which aims to reduce the number of secrets stored directly inside applications.
Deal details
Apono had raised a total of US$54 million before the sale, BetaKit reported. Its roughly 80 employees are joining 1Password's staff of about 1,400 and will remain in New York and Tel Aviv, giving 1Password its first presence in Israel. Industry reporting has put the price at US$200 million or more; 1Password has not confirmed any figure.
The purchase is 1Password's fifth acquisition and follows Kolide, a device-trust company bought in 2024, and Trelica, a SaaS management firm bought in 2025.
Why it matters
Standing privileges, such as administrator accounts that are always on, are a frequent target in breaches because a single stolen credential can unlock a great deal. The arrival of AI agents that act on behalf of employees multiplies the number of identities that need access. Vendors across the identity market, including SailPoint, which bought non-human identity firm Entro Security the same month, have made acquisitions aimed at the same problem.
For existing 1Password customers, nothing changes immediately. The company has not given a timeline for when Apono features will appear inside its business plans or what they will cost.
