Value of Israeli AI cybersecurity startup surpasses $1 billion after securing additional $100 million in funding

The Israeli cybersecurity startup Dream Security was founded in January 2023 with the goal of providing sophisticated cybersecurity solutions. Today the new AI-based company is already valued at $1.1 billion after it recently succeeded in raising $100 million in funds.

The new company was founded by the former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Israeli tech entrepreneur Shalev Hulio who previously served as the CEO of the embattled and cyber espionage NSO Group. 

Hulio who serves as the company’s CEO, emphasized that the company’s vision is to enhance national cyber security amid challenging times. 

“Never before has a company been founded with the primary mission of providing national cybersecurity protection for a country or a government,” he stated. “We founded Dream to deliver a solution that truly works for nations, specifically because it was designed with their needs in mind."

With offices in Tel Aviv, Vienna and Abu Dhabi, Dream Security has a global focus and has constructed an advanced AI security platform that is designed to “think like both a defender and an attacker.” The overall goal is to stay at least one step ahead of hackers by providing preemptive solutions before the security problems arise. 

Kurz who serves as the company’s president, warned that many countries face cyberattacks on critical national infrastructure. 

“Sophisticated cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure are increasing in both prevalence and complexity,” Kurz assessed. “During my time as prime minister, I saw firsthand how these attacks can cause real human damage, and have the capacity to disrupt society at large,” he continued. 

“By founding Dream, we are on a mission to empower nations against what is the defining national security concern of our era,” he argued. 

In addition to security challenges, the startup believes that cybersecurity is also presenting considerable data problems. 

“Cybersecurity is no longer just a security challenge; it’s a massive data problem,” the company stated. “Governments must navigate complex environments that include legacy systems, cloud infrastructure, and hybrid architectures, all while managing vast amounts of security data,” it added. 

The Jewish state’s complex security challenges have likely contributed to its current status as one of the world’s leading nations within cyber security and artificial intelligence. 

The Israeli cybersecurity industry is booming as a result of ongoing Iranian cyber security attacks on military and civilian institutions in Israel and many other nations. 

Amir Rapaport, an Israeli tech executive who established the startup Cybertech, noted in 2024 that the Israeli cybertech market is boosted by the growing global cybersecurity threats. 

“The trend of increased mergers and acquisitions in Israeli cyber, which began last year, continues into 2024, as global cyber threats grow year by year,” Rapaport assessed. “In contrast to other sectors, geopolitical tensions increase interest and investment in cyber companies."

“Therefore, we expect to see more investments in Israeli cyber companies and new startups that address emerging threats,” Rapaport concluded. 

In February 2024, the Microsoft Threat Analysis Center (MTAC) concluded in a report that following the Hamas Oct. 7, 2023, attack the Iranian regime decided to dramatically escalate its cyber activities against Israel and in support of its terrorist proxy Hamas. 

“As the Israel-Hamas war broke out on October 7, 2023, Iran immediately surged support to Hamas with its now well-honed technique of combining targeted hacks with influence operations amplified on social media; what we refer to as cyber-enabled influence operations,” MTAC stated.