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Upwind

Cybersecurity · San Francisco, United States · Founded 2022

Upwind Security Inc. provides a cybersecurity platform designed to protect cloud infrastructure, initiated in 2022 by the leadership team from Spot.io following its acquisition by NetApp. The founding group includes CEO Amiram Shachar, CTO Tal Zur, Chief Architect Liran Polak, and SVP of Growth Lavi Ferdman, who bring extensive experience in DevOps and cloud infrastructure to the security sector. Their previous success with Spot.io, a cloud optimization company sold to NetApp for $450 million, laid the groundwork for their current venture. Ferdman's background includes roles at IBM and NetApp, complementing his computer science education. The company operates on a subscription-based model, offering tiered services to cater to different organizational needs and budgets, supplemented by revenue from premium add-on features. Upwind targets a market of enterprises grappling with the complexities of cloud security, aiming to consolidate various point solutions into a single, cohesive platform. This approach addresses the common customer desire to move from multiple single-purpose security tools to a comprehensive platform. Upwind's core offering is a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) that distinguishes itself with a runtime-first methodology. This platform integrates capabilities such as Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP), and Cloud Detection and Response (CDR). By leveraging runtime data, the platform provides real-time visibility into cloud deployments, applications, and network topologies. A key technology is its use of lightweight eBPF-based sensors, which allows for deep visibility into system and network activity without significant performance overhead. This enables the platform to detect threats in real-time, prioritize vulnerabilities based on actual usage, and reduce alert fatigue by as much as 95%. Following the acquisition of Nyx in April 2025, Upwind integrated function-level runtime visibility, creating what it terms a Cloud Application Detection and Response (CADR) platform. This enhancement provides deeper insights into application behavior, improving both threat detection and vulnerability prioritization by identifying if vulnerable functions are actively used. Since its inception, the company has secured $180 million in funding across three rounds, with a notable $100 million Series A in December 2024, which valued the company at approximately $900 million. Key investors include Craft Ventures, Greylock, Cyberstarts, TCV, and Leaders Fund. The company has offices in San Francisco, Israel, the UK, and Iceland. Keywords: cloud security, CNAPP, runtime security, CWPP, cloud workload protection, CSPM, cloud detection and response, eBPF, vulnerability management, cloud infrastructure security, API security, container security, real-time threat detection, application security, DevOps security, risk prioritization, cloud-native, cybersecurity platform, infrastructure as code security, identity and access management