15 Israeli Cybersecurity Startups to Know in 2026: Funding, Investors and Exits

Quick answer — October 2026: Israel's independent cybersecurity scene spans mature platforms such as Cyera, Cato Networks and Island, fast-growing specialists such as Upwind, Torq, Reco and Zenity, and newer AI-security entrants including NewCore, Cymphony and Pluto Security. These companies tackle different problems, so this is a researched shortlist, not a claim that one product is objectively "best."

Three companies still found on some older startup lists should not be counted as independent private startups: Google completed its purchase of Wiz in March 2026, Palo Alto Networks completed its acquisition of CyberArk in February, and ServiceNow completed its purchase of Armis in April. We cover their exits separately below.

Last verified: October 25, 2026. Values below are disclosed funding rounds, not revenue or company market capitalization. Where reporting and company announcements differ, we say so.

15 companies worth knowing

These are Israeli-founded businesses or companies with substantial Israeli operations. Several also maintain a US headquarters. We selected them for the importance of the security problem, product differentiation, evidence of funding or adoption, and current independence—not simply lifetime capital raised. A new round is not the same as total funding; a valuation is not an exit price.

Which company matters for which problem?

Data and cloud: Start with Cyera if the question is which sensitive data an AI model or agent can touch. Look at Upwind for security risks in running cloud workloads; it is a different layer from discovering sensitive data. For a broad networking-and-security platform, start with Cato Networks.

Users, identities and permissions: Silverfort applies identity controls across mixed environments, including legacy resources. NewCore is rebuilding the identity-provider layer for both people and agents. Reco maps agents' connections to applications, accounts, permissions and workflows. These products can overlap in a buyer's security architecture without being interchangeable.

The work interface and new AI attack surface: Island began with the enterprise browser and is expanding toward controls for people and agents. Zenity and Noma focus on how AI agents and AI applications are governed. Cymphony covers the overlap between employee access and agent access. Pluto targets AI tools and applications employees deploy on their own devices. Their differentiation is where the control is enforced, not merely whether their marketing mentions AI.

The security team itself: Torq uses agents in security operations; Pentera validates defenses by simulating attacks. Guardio focuses on consumers rather than enterprise SOC buyers, while Dream serves government and critical-infrastructure customers. Those are distinct markets, and funding should not be read as one product ranking.

How to narrow this list in one minute

A startup list is most useful when it helps you take a next step:

• You manage sensitive data: compare Cyera for discovering and controlling data exposure, then Reco for the connected application and agent-permission layer.
• You manage cloud infrastructure: look at Upwind for active workloads and exposure, or Cato Networks if your starting point is networks and remote access.
• Employees and AI agents use many SaaS tools: compare Island (browser enforcement), Zenity and Noma (agent and AI-application governance), and NewCore (identity).
• You run a security operations team: investigate Torq for automating response and Pentera for checking whether defenses withstand attacks.
• You are tracking investment opportunities: check the date, type and investor names behind each round before comparing valuations. A $400M equity extension is different from a $400M first round, a credit facility, or an acquisition.

These are starting points for research, not product endorsements. Check requirements and third-party assessments before selecting software.

What changed in 2026?

1. Large independent companies kept raising money

Cyera's June $600 million raise came at a $12 billion valuation. Its September $400 million investment was an extension of the Series G, not an unrelated new Series H. The company also completed its acquisition of Oasis Security in September, strengthening its identity-management footprint.

Island disclosed a $400 million Series F at a $6.4 billion valuation on September 24. These are separate company financings. The valuations describe investors' pricing of the companies at those dates, not cash returned to shareholders.

2. AI agents created several distinct security categories

Consider an AI agent connected to Salesforce, email and a file store. Different vendors may answer different questions: Who is this agent? What is it permitted to do? Which sensitive records can it reach? Is the tool or skill it called safe? Can the security team stop a risky action? NewCore, Reco, Cyera, Zenity, Noma and Pluto address different portions of that chain. These are editorial comparisons based on company product descriptions, not a claim that any one product has independently proven superior security outcomes.

NewCore announced $66 million in funding when it emerged from stealth in June. Cymphony's $25 million Series A arrived in September; Pluto's roughly $34 million latest financing was disclosed in October. Pluto's $42 million is cumulative funding, not the size of its latest round.

3. Major acquisitions changed what counts as an independent startup

A database that simply repeats historical "top startups" lists may continue to show acquired companies as independent. Exit status and the date of verification are therefore as important as the funding total.

How to use this list if you are a founder or investor

Looking for a market: Start with the security control point, not the company's reported valuation. A new identity platform, a tool-governance product and a cloud-runtime scanner compete for different operating budgets even if all describe themselves as AI security.

Looking for investors: Trace the named lead and participants in the individual funding announcements; do not assume everyone backing one cybersecurity company funds every stage. For example, Cyera's June round was led by Evolution Equity Partners, while NewCore's disclosed backers include Cyberstarts, Index Ventures and Evolution Equity Partners.

Looking at valuations: Check whether the figure is company-announced, independently reported, or unavailable. We deliberately keep the reported Upwind financing separate from company-confirmed terms. Private valuations can be affected by round structure and investor rights; a headline mark alone does not establish liquidation value.

For broader 2026 rounds beyond Israeli-linked companies, see our global cybersecurity funding tracker.

How we selected and verified the companies

This is a 15-company editorial selection as of October 25, 2026, not an exhaustive directory, a revenue ranking or an objective top-15 score. We included Israeli-founded or materially Israel-based companies with identifiable security products and evidence of continued independent operation. We used primary company or acquirer announcements first and named reporting where company terms were unavailable. US headquarters do not, by themselves, exclude a company with Israeli founders or material Israeli operations.

We exclude already acquired companies from the active-private shortlist, even if they remain valuable brands. We distinguish an individual financing from cumulative funding, priced equity from debt or M&A, reported valuations from company-confirmed valuations, and talks from closed transactions. When amounts conflict, we attribute the source instead of silently choosing the larger number.

Corrections and updates: Funding histories change. Every number in the table is tied to a dated source; the most recent dated, independently verifiable correction should supersede it. Company claims about deployment, adoption, ARR or security efficacy are not independently audited merely because they appear in a press release.

Frequently asked questions

What are the biggest Israeli cybersecurity startups in 2026?

By disclosed recent private valuation, Cyera (over $12 billion), Island ($6.4 billion) and Cato Networks (over $4.8 billion) are among the largest on this shortlist. These figures come from different financing dates and are not a synchronized market ranking.

Is Wiz still an independent Israeli cybersecurity startup?

No. Google completed its acquisition on March 11, 2026. Wiz continues as a brand within Google Cloud.

Which Israeli cybersecurity companies are focused on AI agents?

Relevant examples include Zenity, Noma Security, Reco, NewCore, Cymphony, Pluto Security and Cyera, but they address different layers: model and agent risk, identity, permissions, data access and endpoint behavior.

Did Upwind definitely close a $300 million round?

September 2026 reporting put the transaction at about $300 million and a $3.8 billion valuation. We did not locate a company release confirming the final terms, so it is marked reported, not company-confirmed.

Does a $1 billion valuation mean a company raised $1 billion?

No. Funding raised is capital invested in a round or over the company's life; valuation is the price implied by a financing or other transaction. They must not be added together or treated as interchangeable.

For related companies and rounds, explore VCT's startup directory, investor directory and cybersecurity funding coverage.