The Dream Team: Cloud Nine to Cyber Fort

Upwind Security was founded in 2022 by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs: Amiram Shachar, Liran Polak, Lavi Ferdman, and Tal Zur. Prior to Upwind, they co-founded Spot.io, a cloud cost optimization company acquired by NetApp for $450 million in 2020. 

Amiram Shachar, the CEO of Upwind Security, holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from The College of Management Academic Studies. His career spans over a decade in cloud infrastructure and DevOps, including leadership roles at Ybrant Digital and Mamram, the Israeli Defense Forces’ prestigious computing unit. At Spot.io, he served as the CEO, driving the company’s growth and leading its successful acquisition​. (Amiram Shachar)

Liran Polak, Co-Founder and Chief Architect, also graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from The College of Management Academic Studies. His experience includes roles at Bank Hapoalim and Ybrant Digital, where he honed his skills in large-scale cloud infrastructure. At Spot.io, Liran was pivotal in designing software architectures and ensuring technological standards​. (Liran Polak)

Lavi Ferdman, Co-Founder and SVP of Growth, has a rich background in technology and business strategy. Before Upwind, he served in leadership positions at IBM and Spot.io, where he played an instrumental role in global sales and strategy. He also earned his Computer Science degree from The College of Management Academic Studies, reflecting a consistent focus on technology and innovation. (Lavi Ferdman)

The founding team recognized the growing complexity of cloud security and the need for innovative solutions. Leveraging their experience from Spot.io, they aimed to develop a platform that simplifies cloud-native security, making it more effective and accessible. This vision led to the creation of Upwind Security, which focuses on empowering organizations to operate secure and efficient cloud environments, thereby accelerating business growth.

Forecast: Cloudy with a Chance of Cyber Threats

The cloud security market has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by the widespread adoption of cloud computing and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. In 2023, the global cloud security market was valued at approximately USD 37.87 billion. Projections indicate that it will reach USD 43.74 billion in 2024 and USD 156.25 billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.3% during the forecast period. (Fortune Business Insights)

Several factors contribute to this robust growth. The rise of multi-cloud environments and the integration of DevSecOps practices have heightened the demand for comprehensive security solutions. Additionally, the increasing utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies for cloud security has enhanced threat detection and response capabilities. The growing trend of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) policies in workplaces has further expanded the need for effective cloud security measures.

Despite the promising growth, the market faces challenges, including a lack of awareness regarding cloud security and concerns about data privacy. However, the development of the cloud computing landscape and the expansion of mobile computing present significant opportunities for market expansion.

Mission Possible: Securing the Clouds, One Byte at a Time

Upwind Security aims to empower customers to operate cloud environments securely and efficiently, enabling business acceleration and future-focused innovation. The company envisions building the future of cloud security by making it simple, integrated, and accessible to all. By focusing on real-time threat detection and integrating security across development and operational stages, Upwind Security enables organizations to navigate the complexities of cloud security effectively.

Upwind addresses several critical challenges in cloud security:

• Alert Fatigue: Security teams often face overwhelming volumes of alerts, leading to burnout and missed threats. Upwind reduces alert noise by over 95%, allowing teams to focus on genuine risks.
• Lack of Context: Traditional security tools may lack the necessary context to prioritize threats effectively. Upwind leverages runtime data to provide real-time insights, enabling accurate risk assessment and swift response.
• Operational Silos: Disconnected DevOps, security, and operations teams can hinder effective threat mitigation. Upwind unifies these teams by integrating context from runtime to build time, fostering collaboration and delivering actionable results.

Upwind operates on a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, offering a comprehensive Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). This platform encompasses vulnerability management, cloud security posture management, container security, cloud workload protection, cloud detection and response, API security, and identity security. By consolidating these capabilities, Upwind provides a unified solution that simplifies cloud security and enhances operational efficiency.

Feature Forecast: A Downpour of Cloud Security Solutions

Comprehensive Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP)

Upwind offers an integrated Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) to provide complete security coverage for modern cloud environments. This platform enables you to manage cloud security holistically, addressing risks from build-time to runtime. With full visibility across applications, workloads, and infrastructures, it empowers teams to detect, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities efficiently. Upwind eliminates silos, reduces noise, and provides actionable insights, making cloud security seamless and effective​.

Vulnerability Management with Real-Time Insights

Upwind’s Vulnerability Management stands out by leveraging runtime insights to pinpoint truly exploitable vulnerabilities. This feature helps prioritize risks and reduces the attack surface by focusing only on active and internet-exposed packages. The integrated SBOM Explorer streamlines remediation by mapping dependencies, enabling quick and efficient resolution. With support for multi-cloud and hybrid environments, Upwind ensures you stay ahead of threats​.

Container and Kubernetes Security

Upwind provides end-to-end container and Kubernetes security from development to runtime. It supports various platforms, including Kubernetes, Amazon ECS, Google GKE, and OpenShift. By combining runtime data with CI/CD context, it offers comprehensive visibility into the container ecosystem. Real-time mapping of network and process-level topologies, coupled with automated threat detection, makes it easy to address risks proactively​.

Cloud Workload Protection Platform (CWPP)

Upwind’s CWPP delivers real-time workload protection for hosts, containers, and serverless environments. It monitors network activities, file access, and process executions to detect deviations and anomalies. This ensures threats are neutralized at runtime while maintaining container image immutability and securing serverless functions​.

Runtime API Security

With Upwind’s API Security, you gain unparalleled visibility into all API activities. The platform discovers and catalogs APIs, identifies vulnerabilities, and protects against real-time threats. It supports diverse API types such as RESTful, GraphQL, and SOAP. Automated scanning and OWASP-aligned testing ensure proactive protection against API-based attacks​.

Runtime Identity Security

Upwind simplifies Identity Security by discovering and managing human and non-human identities across cloud platforms. It helps enforce least-privilege access by detecting overly permissive roles and unused privileges. With a unified view of identities and their permissions, organizations can dynamically adjust access policies and mitigate risks from unauthorized breaches​.

Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM)

The CSPM solution helps detect, contextualize, and remediate misconfigurations across cloud environments. With runtime insights, it reduces noise and focuses on issues that matter. Features like IaC scanning ensure compliance from design to deployment. This tool aligns with compliance frameworks like CIS, SOC 2, and HIPAA, making regulatory adherence seamless​.

Cloud Detection and Response (CDR)

Upwind’s Cloud Detection and Response (CDR) leverages cloud baselines to detect abnormal activities and investigate threats quickly. It goes beyond signature-based detection by focusing on behavior anomalies. By correlating data from runtime activities, audit logs, and CI/CD pipelines, it enhances visibility and speeds up response times​.

Unified Approach to Cloud Security

Upwind’s solutions are unified under its CNAPP framework, which offers a single pane of glass for all security operations. This approach minimizes complexity, fosters collaboration between DevOps and security teams, and ensures that security becomes a shared responsibility across the organization

Kernel of Truth: eBPF and Cloud Security in Full Flow

Upwind Security leverages advanced technologies to enhance cloud security. A cornerstone of their approach is the use of eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter). eBPF is a powerful feature in modern Linux kernels that allows the execution of sandboxed programs within the operating system kernel without altering its source code. This capability enables real-time monitoring and modification of system behavior, which is crucial for effective security measures.

By utilizing eBPF, Upwind can monitor network traffic, system calls, and other kernel-level activities with minimal performance overhead. This deep visibility allows for the detection of anomalies and potential threats as they occur, facilitating immediate responses to security incidents. The flexibility of eBPF also enables Upwind to implement custom security policies and adapt to emerging threats without the need for kernel modifications or system restarts.

In addition to eBPF, Upwind’s platform incorporates Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). CSPM solutions provide visibility across multicloud and hybrid environments, from development to runtime. They alert security teams to critical vulnerabilities and misconfigurations that could lead to issues and include built-in workflows to strengthen security posture and assist in remediation at scale.

Furthermore, Upwind offers a Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP), a unified platform that simplifies securing cloud applications throughout their lifecycle. CNAPP integrates multiple cloud security solutions that have traditionally been siloed into a single user interface, making it easier for organizations to protect their entire cloud application footprint.

By combining eBPF-based monitoring with CSPM and CNAPP capabilities, Upwind Security provides a comprehensive solution that addresses the dynamic nature of cloud environments. This integrated approach ensures that security measures are proactive, adaptable, and capable of mitigating risks effectively.

Clearing the Air: Upwind’s Market Impact and Partnerships

Upwind Security has rapidly established itself as a significant player in the cloud security industry. Upwind’s innovative approach to cloud security, which has attracted a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies. In recognition of its technological advancements, Upwind was honored with the “Best Cloud Runtime Security Solution” award by the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards in May 2024. (Cybersecurity Excellence Awards)

Further affirming its industry leadership, Upwind was named one of the most promising startups in the SaaS & Security category by The Information.. (Upwind)

In December 2023, Upwind announced a strategic partnership with RealCloud, a leading technology solutions provider in Latin America. This collaboration aimed to introduce Upwind’s Cloud Security Platform to the Latin American market. (Realcloud)

Funding Forecast: A Flurry of Capital in Upwind’s Favor

Upwind Security has raised a total of $180 million in equity funding across three rounds, marking its rapid ascent in the competitive cloud security market.

The company’s most recent funding round, a $100 million Series A, took place in late 2024. This round was led by Craft Ventures, with participation from TCV, Alta Park Capital, and existing investors such as Greylock, Cyberstarts, Leaders Fund, Cerca, and Sheva Ventures. This injection of funds will enable Upwind to expand globally, double its headcount to nearly 300 employees, and enhance its operations across offices in Israel, San Francisco, the UK, and Iceland​. (Tracxn) (Upwind)

Prior to this, Upwind raised $80 million in 2023 across two earlier rounds, with $30 million from its seed funding followed by an additional $50 million in mid-2023. The seed round was co-led by Greylock and Cyberstarts, while other notable investors included Omri Casspi’s Sheva Ventures and Stephen Curry’s Penny Jar Capital. This early funding laid the groundwork for Upwind’s development of its runtime-powered cloud security platform, enabling real-time protection and vulnerability management at scale​. (Upwind Seed Funding)

Sky’s the Limit: Securing the Cloud’s Future with Upwind

Upwind Security is redefining the way cloud security is managed. The company offers a cutting-edge platform that combines runtime insights with real-time protection, enabling organizations to secure their cloud-native environments effectively. By leveraging innovative technologies like eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter), Upwind provides unparalleled visibility into system behavior at the kernel level. This allows businesses to detect and respond to threats with precision while minimizing performance overhead.

Upwind’s platform integrates multiple security capabilities into a unified Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). This includes vulnerability management, cloud security posture management, and API security, among others. These features empower security teams to identify and prioritize critical risks, streamline operations, and maintain a robust security posture across complex cloud environments. Unlike traditional approaches, Upwind’s solutions focus on runtime data, offering dynamic and context-rich insights that adapt to the fast-evolving nature of cloud infrastructure.

If you have an idea or a vision, let Upwind’s journey be a reminder that innovation and perseverance can lead to remarkable success. The founders of Upwind turned their experience from previous ventures into a fresh solution to a pressing problem. Make sure to check out other articles on Venture Kites to stay updated on groundbreaking companies like Upwind Security and learn about the latest trends shaping industries.