8Layers raises €1M extension, lifting pre-Seed total to €2.5M
Madrid-based cybersecurity startup 8Layers has closed a €1 million extension to its pre-Seed round, bringing total funding to €2.5 million. Criteria Venture Tech, the venture arm of CriteriaCaixa, and Bankinter joined as new investors.
The raise follows a €1.5 million pre-Seed round closed in 2025 and comes just after 8Layers launched its platform commercially in May 2026. It will fund the company's go-to-market strategy and commercial expansion across Europe.
Founded in 2024, 8Layers protects digital identities — what it calls the leading vector of today's cyberattacks. Its platform combines Identity Security Posture Management, Identity Threat Detection and Response, and automated compliance with European rules including ENS, NIS2, and ISO 27001.
The founding team — Daniel García Morán, Pedro Palao, Pablo Carretero, and Iago Salgado — brings more than 20 years of experience in scalable systems and cybersecurity. Three were part of the founding team of Devo, a Spanish deep tech unicorn.
The entry of two financial-sector investors signals demand from banks facing rising credential-based attacks and regulatory pressure. "Their entry is not just an investment: it is confirmation, from within the financial sector itself, that digital identity security is now a top-level priority," said García Morán, chief executive officer and co-founder.
The round lands amid steady 2026 funding across European cybersecurity, digital identity, and compliance. Comparable deals include Madrid's Sybol (over €1 million), Zepo Intelligence (€12.8 million), Barcelona's NeuralTrust (€17.2 million), Prague's Wultra (€6.8 million), and France's MokN (€12.9 million) — pointing to sustained investor appetite for identity-focused security infrastructure.
Read more: EU-Startups
Image credit: Visual Content
