Glilot Capital, an Israeli venture capital firm, has secured $500 million from major financial institutions in the United States, Europe, and Israel. The funds will be directed to Glilot Seed and Glilot Plus, which back startups in cybersecurity, enterprise solutions, and artificial intelligence. With this raise, Glilot’s assets under management have surpassed $1 billion.
Cofounder and managing partner Kobi Samboursky stated that the new funding “reflects the confidence global financial institutions have in our unique investment model and track record of performance.”
Glilot also named Rinat Remler as its fifth partner. The firm said she brings extensive operational and investment experience that will strengthen its leadership team. Founded in 2011, Glilot has become one of Israel’s most successful venture capital firms, with 22 exits to date.
All eight investments from its first fund achieved exits. Its portfolio includes companies such as AtBay, UpStream, and Cider Security. Among current portfolio companies, Noma recently completed a $100 million Series B round, while Appcharge and ScaleOps each raised $58 million in their latest funding rounds.
Samboursky emphasized that the latest fundraising will enable Glilot to continue investing in its core focus areas. “This new capital not only validates our past performance but also empowers us to continue and grow our Cyber and AI philosophy,” he said. “We deeply believe in the Israeli ecosystem and will continue to lead investments in the best local and global talent.”
The funds attracted mainly international investors, including pension funds and other financial institutions from the U.S. and Europe.
New funds to enhance AI security
This fundraising success indicates minimal adverse impact from the widespread criticism of Israel over its actions in Gaza. Samboursky indicated that each of the new funds aims to invest in 12 AI and cybersecurity startups over the coming years.
With more than $1 billion under management, Glilot has invested in eight companies so far this year, while its portfolio companies have secured $700 million in follow-on investment. “Cyber is now bigger than ever, and it’s not going to end anytime soon,” said Samboursky, a former officer in the Israeli military’s 8200 intelligence unit. He added that half of the new funding will go toward new investments, with the remainder allocated to follow-on investments.
Samboursky highlighted that the focus will be on startups that enhance the protection of companies’ AI technologies and address threats emerging from AI. He described this segment as having the potential to surpass cloud security in importance in the next five to six years. Israel has emerged as a global leader in cybersecurity, accounting for about half of all investments in Israeli tech startups.
In recent major deals, Palo Alto Networks acquired Israeli peer CyberArk Software for approximately $25 billion in July, and Alphabet purchased Israeli startup Wiz for $32 billion in March. Beyond financial backing, Glilot has built one of the industry’s most comprehensive value creation engines, actively supporting its portfolio companies with go-to-market strategies, partnerships with Fortune 1000 executives, and deep sector expertise. This approach has made the Value Creation department the largest at the firm.
With this raise, Glilot is well-positioned to continue its mission of identifying, funding, and accelerating the next generation of technology leaders, from early-stage innovators to high-growth disruptors transforming industries.
