Cybercriminals are using AI to craft attacks that traditional tools can't detect. For state and local governments handling sensitive data, the stakes are high.

Abnormal AI was built to stop these attacks, using behavioral AI to detect threats before they reach inboxes. Today, Abnormal protects more than 3000 organizations, including a quarter of the Fortune 500.

Zach Oxman, AVP for U.S. State, Local Government and Education, sat down with us to talk about what it takes to sell AI-native security into one of the most complex buying environments, and how Starbridge is helping his team identify and win opportunities earlier. 

Navigating a Complex GovTech Landscape

Selling into the government requires patience and precision. Budgets are tightly scrutinized, procurement cycles are slow, and agencies approach new technologies cautiously.

"Public sector looks at everything through the lens of risk," Oxman says. "In a world where even private organizations are struggling to figure out how to adopt AI, the public sector is asking: how do we just not do something wrong?"

That caution makes trust critical when introducing AI-driven cybersecurity solutions.

“Our customers use Abnormal because we're one of the only validated, verifiable approaches to AI they've seen,” Zach explains. “A lot of vendors say they’re AI, but it's mainly a bolt-on to an existing product. Our foundations go back to 2018. AI isn't something we added, it's what we're built on.”

The Challenge: Fragmented Data

For companies selling into the government, the challenge isn’t a lack of data, it’s connecting the dots.

Before Starbridge, Abnormal’s team gathered intelligence from a wide range of sources: strategic plans, board meeting minutes, procurement records, and competitive data.

“My biggest concern as a leader was: are my reps truly combing through everything that's available?” Zach says. “What signals are we missing? Do they have a complete picture of an account and the problems we're trying to help solve?”

Different reps approached research differently, which meant important signals could easily be overlooked.

How Starbridge Powers the Motion

Today, Starbridge centralizes that intelligence and surfaces the buying signals that matter most.

“Starbridge fits for me between the morning coffee and workout,” Oxman says. “I check what signals have come in for the day and can help advocate for my team,” Zach says. “By the time I share a signal with them, I usually get the reply back: ‘Yep, I saw it. I'm on it.’”

The team also relies on Starbridge to prepare for discovery calls. Procurement intelligence, such as purchasing thresholds, approval processes, and past contracts, helps them approach agencies with a clearer understanding of how decisions are made.

“Instead of going to 10 or 15 different places to find information, it lets us get actionable really quickly in one central place.”

That visibility enables a more consultative sales approach.

“It allows us to understand the problems our customers are trying to solve,” Zach explains. “It helps experienced reps find opportunities faster, helps new hires ramp quicker, and gets us into proof-of-value sooner.”

Closing the Public Sector Data Gap

Looking ahead, Zach sees Starbridge playing an even bigger role as Abnormal prepares for conference season and expanded outreach.

“The value just multiplies,” he says. “Now we have the data at our fingertips, so when we're spending marketing dollars on events, we're extracting the greatest amount of value we can.”

For Zach, the bigger picture is solving a broader challenge across GovTech.

“There’s a gigantic data problem in public sector sales,” he says. “Having Starbridge there to solve that first, and then power the go-to-market motion, has been a big differentiator. Starbridge doesn’t just help us move faster, it helps us move faster in the right direction.”‍

Learn more about how starbridge powers Abnormal AI here.