Cybersecurity unicorn Tines rebuilds platform with AI as no-code era ends
The Dublin-based automation startup is launching a new AI-authored workflow system, signaling a strategic pivot as large language models commoditize visual software builders.
Irish cybersecurity unicorn Tines has unveiled a new AI-powered platform, marking a fundamental rebuild of the product that originally drove its growth. Co-founder and CEO Eoin Hinchy acknowledged that the company’s foundational no-code offering had reached a clear "sell-by date."
The company launched the new system, called Tines 3B, this week. It allows employees to describe workflows or agents in natural language, which the system then translates into executable code.
Crucially, the generated code executes as a deterministic workflow rather than relying on a model to reason through steps at runtime. This approach ensures that IT and security teams retain strict control over credentials, integrations and permissions.
Hinchy founded Tines in 2018 alongside Thomas Kinsella to help security teams automate manual workloads without needing software engineering skills. However, the rapid advancement of large language models has fundamentally shifted the enterprise software landscape.
“There is a sell-by date on low-code, no-code as a category,” Hinchy said. He noted that while the visual builder was highly effective previously, "it was the right solution for a particular moment in time."
The strategic pivot comes as Tines continues to scale its existing operations. The company raised a $125 million Series C funding round last year, achieving a $1.125 billion valuation. Its original platform currently executes approximately 1.5 billion automated actions every week.
To support the new direction, Tines rebuilt its front end, middle layer and back end from the ground up. Hinchy emphasized that the company undertook this comprehensive overhaul even while its legacy business maintained strong growth.
For existing clients, the transition will be gradual. Tines has confirmed there is no migration deadline or sunset date for its original Stories platform, and the company will continue to invest in it.
The move highlights a broader inflection point for enterprise software vendors. As generative AI becomes capable of writing functional code, the competitive advantage is shifting from providing drag-and-drop interfaces to managing the governance and security of AI-generated applications.
By embedding AI into the creation phase while keeping execution deterministic, Tines is attempting to capture this next wave of automation demand. The strategy aims to prevent the commoditization of its core offering while addressing the growing enterprise need for secure, auditable AI workflows.
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