Tel Aviv-born cloud security firm Upwind has rocketed to unicorn status, securing $250 million in a Series B round that values the company at $1.5 billion post-money. The funding, announced January 26, 2026, brings Upwind’s total capital to $430 million and crowns it as a leader in runtime-powered protection for dynamic cloud environments. Led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital, the round drew heavyweights including Greylock, Cyberstarts, Craft Ventures, TCV, Alta Park Capital, Leaders Fund, Cerca Partners, Swish Ventures, Sheva, and Penny Jar Capital—backed by NBA star Stephen Curry.

Founded in 2022 by CEO Amiram Shachar and Spot.io alumni Liran Polak, Lavi Ferdman, and Tal Zuri, Upwind emerged from the ashes of their prior venture. Spot.io, which optimized cloud costs by up to 80%, sold to NetApp for $450 million in 2020. Shachar, an IDF Mamram unit veteran who pioneered virtualization in the Israeli military, spotted a gap: traditional security tools lag behind cloud’s speed. “Cloud infrastructure has changed faster than the security models designed to protect it,” Shachar wrote in the company’s announcement. (Yahoo Finance)

The startup’s platform, a comprehensive CNAPP, fuses cloud security posture management, workload protection, detection and response, vulnerability scanning, identity security, and container safeguards. Powered by an eBPF-based sensor, it delivers real-time visibility into workloads, configurations, and applications, slashing irrelevant alerts by 98% and CVEs by 60%. Customers like Siemens, Peloton, Roku, NuBank, Carvana, and Wix rely on it to prioritize genuine threats amid noise. (Calcalistech)

Explosive Growth Amid Market Turbulence

Upwind posted 900% year-over-year revenue growth and 200% customer expansion since its $100 million Series A in late 2024, valued then at $800-900 million. That round, led by Craft Ventures, tripled its prior valuation from a $50 million raise at $300 million. The firm added over 100 channel partners last year, including deepened ties with AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Marketplace, and NVIDIA. Recognized on CRN’s 2025 Stellar Startups list, Upwind calls itself “the first unicorn in modern cloud security.” (CRN)

In July 2025, reports surfaced of $1 billion acquisition talks with Datadog, which Upwind sidestepped to pursue independence. April 2025 saw its buyout of Nyx Security for real-time app protection, spawning features like In-Use Functions and Cloud Application Detection and Response. These moves fortified its runtime-first edge as enterprises consolidate tools. (Calcalistech)

Growth reflects broader shifts: cloud attacks surged, with runtime signals essential for AI-driven workloads. Upwind integrates CI/CD pipelines to scan code and infrastructure-as-code for flaws, spotting regulatory breaches in configs. (SiliconANGLE)

Runtime-First: Cutting Through Alert Fatigue

Unlike static scanners, Upwind’s eBPF tech captures live behavior, prioritizing risks with runtime context. It pioneered API security in CNAPPs, offering topology maps of Google Cloud comms—even cross-AWS flows. “The next era of cloud security requires a fundamentally different approach, centered in real-time signals,” Shachar stated. “That’s actually the only way to protect the cloud in the new era of AI.” (Globes)

Investors echoed the bet. Bessemer partner Elliot Robinson praised the team’s timing: “Cloud security is already one of the largest and fastest growing segments in cybersecurity.” Cyberstarts founder Gili Raanan, in since day zero, called it the fund’s seventh unicorn: “Thrilled to partner with Amiram… in one of the fastest-growing markets shaped by cloud scale and AI velocity.” Craft’s Michael Robinson noted three investments, from Spot.io days. (JNS.org)

The platform’s open-source security model lets teams modify risks elastically, with co-sell support from hyperscalers accelerating adoption. Upwind now staffs 150+, planning doubles in sales, engineering across San Francisco, Tel Aviv, Iceland, and the UK. (Help Net Security)

Funding for ‘The Next Wave’

Proceeds fuel “The Next Wave”: scaling across AI, data, code, and beyond. Shachar aims to expand globally, invest in R&D for predictive alerts, and fortify hyperscaler partnerships. As cloud-native apps proliferate, Upwind positions to consolidate fragmented stacks. (Yahoo Finance)

Israel’s cyber ecosystem shines: Upwind joins a list bolstered by Wiz, Cyera. Amid geopolitical strains, its San Francisco HQ and global footprint underscore resilience. Backers like Penny Jar and Sheva (Omri Casspi) blend sports and tech pedigrees. (Jerusalem Post)

For insiders, Upwind signals runtime’s dominance over legacy posture management. As AI velocities clouds, its evidence-backed intelligence could redefine CNAPPs, validating Shachar’s vision: built for tomorrow’s threats, not yesterday’s scans.