Just two years after it was founded, Israeli cyber security firm Dream Security became Israel's first cyber unicorn for 2025.
Dream, established in 2023 by former NSO founder Shalev Hulio, former Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz and former Prime Minister's Office staffer Gil Dolev, raised $100 million in funding for an estimated $1.1 million evaluation. The funding was being led by Bain Capital Ventures (BCV) which has a portfolio of over 400 active companies.
Dream specializes in cyber and infrastructure security for the protection of critical infrastructure - gas, oil or water production facilities, and has developed a unique AI model that combines cyber defense capabilities and the ability to dive deep into significant cyber strikes originating from state actors, including cyber superpowers.
Its team consists of cybersecurity experts with years of experience in Israel's intelligence and security field and AI professionals.
"Dream’s AI security platform anticipates cyber threats by analyzing attack patterns and defense strategies. It proactively identifies, predicts and neutralizes both known and emerging threats — providing continuous protection against evolving risks," the company says on its website.
In the past year, Dream has already forged cooperation with governments and national security agencies around the world, at an estimated value of $130 million. The current funding would accelerate its language model development and enable the company to reach new markets.
The company is growing at a crazy pace," co-founder and president Hulio told Ynet. It shows the need for countries to protect against cyberattacks. "AI is changing the rules of the game and Dream is positioned to be a leading international player capable of meeting current and future challenges.
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Hulio established NSO in 2010 with two partners, and together they became the world's leading cyberattack firm. He stepped down as CEO after NSO's Pegasus software caused world outrage when it was used for surveillance of political adversaries, journalists and human rights activists.
Ronan Farrow's documentary Surveilled explores NSO's Pegasus spyware
(Video: Courtesy of HBO)
The U.S. government has taken measures against the use of technology for cyber attacks especially developed by Israeli firms, claiming the spyware was able to hack any smartphone, access any screen, document or photograph, and activate recording devices to spy on their owners.
The Israeli technology was alleged to have been used by autocratic regimes, to go after their opponents and even have them murdered.
A California court recently ruled in favor of Meta in a suit against NSO and said the Israeli cyber firm hacked WhatsApp in 2019, using Pegasus.