Key Takeaways:
- Upwind, an Israeli cloud security company, has raised a significant funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, reaching a total funding of $430 million to date.
- The company’s platform consolidates multiple security functions, including Cloud Security Posture Management, Cloud Workload Protection, and Cloud Detection and Response, into a single comprehensive offering.
- Upwind has achieved approximately 900% revenue growth and a 200% increase in its customer base since its last funding round, with its platform being used by global companies such as Siemens, Peloton, and Roku.
- The company’s approach focuses on runtime-first data analysis within the cloud environment itself, enabling security teams to eliminate noise, focus on real risks, and protect modern cloud applications more accurately and efficiently.
Introduction to Upwind and Its Funding Round
The recent funding round for Upwind, an Israeli cloud security company, has marked a significant milestone for the company, with venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round. Other notable investors include Picture Capital, backed by the founders of Island and Transmit Security, as well as Craft Ventures, known for backing Elon Musk-linked companies such as SpaceX, Tesla, and xAI. This round brings Upwind’s total funding to date to $430 million, demonstrating the confidence of investors in the company’s innovative approach to cloud security. With this funding, Upwind is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and expand its cloud security capabilities.
The Founding and Vision of Upwind
Upwind was founded in 2022 by CEO Amiram Shachar, along with his founding partners from Spot.io, which was acquired by NetApp for $450 million in 2020. Shachar’s vision for Upwind is centered around the need for a fundamentally different approach to cloud security, one that prioritizes runtime-first data analysis within the cloud environment itself. This approach enables security teams to eliminate noise, focus on real risks, and protect modern cloud applications more accurately and efficiently. As Shachar noted, "Cloud infrastructures have evolved far faster than the security models designed to protect them. The next generation of cloud security requires a runtime-first method, which is the only way to protect the cloud during the AI era."
Upwind’s Cloud Security Platform
Upwind’s cloud security platform is designed to consolidate multiple security functions into a single comprehensive offering. The platform includes Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), vulnerability management, identity security, and container security. This approach allows organizations to streamline cloud security operations in complex environments and prioritize real risks over irrelevant alerts. With its platform, Upwind has achieved significant traction, with its customer base increasing by 200% and revenue growth of approximately 900% since its last funding round. Global companies such as Siemens, Peloton, Roku, and NuBank are among the users of Upwind’s platform.
The Founder’s Background and Experience
Amiram Shachar, Upwind’s founder and CEO, brings a wealth of experience in the field of cloud security. He served for six years as an officer in the IDF’s Mamram unit, where he managed the military’s data center infrastructure and led the first implementation of virtualization technologies, including VMware, within the IDF. In 2015, he founded Spot.io, which developed technology that enabled cloud customers to use reserved servers at significantly reduced costs, cutting cloud computing expenses by as much as 80%. After Spot.io was acquired by NetApp in 2020, Shachar served as Vice President and General Manager at NetApp, further solidifying his expertise in the field.
Expansion and Acquisition
In April 2025, Upwind acquired Nyx Security, a company specializing in real-time application security services. This acquisition further expanded Upwind’s cloud security capabilities, demonstrating the company’s commitment to innovation and growth. With its strong leadership, innovative approach, and significant funding, Upwind is well-positioned to continue its rapid growth and play a leading role in the cloud security market. As the company continues to evolve and expand its offerings, it is likely to remain a key player in the industry, helping organizations to protect their cloud applications and infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated threats.
