11 Israeli startups dominate list of most promising global cybersecurity firms
The startups make up more than one-third of Notable Capital’s ‘Rising in Cyber 2025’ list of 30 companies solving the most urgent challenges facing security teams
Sharon Wrobel is a tech reporter for The Times of Israel
Eleven Israeli companies have been selected among a group of the 30 most promising global cyber startups to deal with the most painful security threats, as the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence tools creates fast-evolving risks, according to Notable Capital’s “Rising in Cyber 2025” list.
Launched by US-based venture capital firm Notable Capital, Rising in Cyber 2025 is an independent annual roster of the most innovative cybersecurity firms based on their ability to solve critical cyber problems faced by security teams. The list is collated in a collaborative effort with the New York Stock Exchange and Morgan Stanley.
The startups were drawn from a pool of 275 firms nominated by top cybersecurity investors. The final list of 30 firms was selected through a voting process by 150 chief information security officers and cybersecurity executives of large corporations, including Adobe, Chime, HSBC and Kaiser.
Notable Capital managing partner Oren Yunger said that the Rising in Cyber list showcases the “companies that matter most — not to investors, but to the people tasked with defending the world’s most complex IT environments.”
“These startups aren’t just innovative, they’re operationally relevant as they were chosen by CISOs [chief information security officers] who face these challenges every day,” said Yunger. “They reflect where security budgets are going and where the future is headed.”
Among the 11 Israeli startups selected is Grip Security, a developer of a security control platform tailored to help businesses protect their web-based applications and services by managing, detecting and mitigating identity risks regardless of device type or location. Another is Orca Security, founded in 2019 by Avi Shua and Gil Geron, both of whom formerly held executive positions at the Israeli cybersecurity giant Check Point Software Technologies.
The other Israeli firms selected as promising cybersecurity startups this year are: Cyera, Island, Axonius, Wing Security, Noma Security, Token Security, Gomboc, Descope and Astrix Security.
“As AI Agents become a significant part of the enterprise workforce, securing their underlying non-human identities is crucial to ensuring they operate safely, and as intended,” said Alon Jackson, CEO of Tel Aviv-based Astrix. “This recognition reinforces the urgency of our work to help organizations detect, govern and control these powerful new entities before they become the next major attack vector.”
Yunger added that this year’s ranking reflects changes taking place in the cybersecurity industry, including the fast adoption of AI, the explosion of identity and authentication risks amid a surge in non-human identities, and persistent threats.
“Developers building authentication in-house are burdened with lots of security responsibilities that they shouldn’t be responsible for,” said Descope co-founder and CEO Slavik Markovich. “We’re proud to help hundreds of organizations ‘descope’ authentication and access control from their daily work without having to worry about account takeover, session management and agentic identity infrastructure.”
Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated, with attackers leveraging AI to outsmart traditional defenses and exploit blind spots in data and cloud systems of businesses and corporations.
“Companies remain excited about the potential of AI to transform their businesses but are also concerned that AI will inject unmanageable amounts of risk, leading to expensive breaches and damaging leaks,” said Yunger.
A survey among about 150 chief information security chiefs conducted by Notable Capital in collaboration with Morgan Stanley found that managing identity and access controls amid a surge in non-human identities was one of the main challenges faced by enterprises and organizations.
An active mergers and acquisitions landscape has reshaped the sector, as strategic acquirers seek innovation through the acquisition of startups offering specialized, cutting-edge solutions.
Recent transactions such as Palo Alto Networks’ acquisition of Protect AI (2025) and Talon Cyber Security (2023), and Wiz’s acquisition of Gem Security (2024) highlight continued demand for specialized cybersecurity solutions and liquidity opportunities at strong multiples.
Israel’s cyber industry defied the odds in 2024, attracting $4 billion in investments, more than double those of a year earlier, even though the country contended with a multi-front war with the Hamas terror group in Gaza and Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Since the end of 2023, a flurry of Israeli-founded cybersecurity startups have been acquired by global tech companies as well as local players as they look to meet the fast-growing security needs of businesses and government for cybersecurity solutions.
Among the most notable local cyber deals were Talon Cyber Security, snapped up by California-based cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks for $625 million, which also bought Israeli startup Dig Security for $350 million. US cybersecurity giant Zscaler acquired Israel’s Avalor for $350 million, and cyber unicorn Wiz bought Gem Security for $350 million.
The Times of Israel Community.