This Israeli cyber startup is launching with $40 million in funding during the Iran war: 'It's part of our reality and part of our strength'

Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity startup Bold has emerged from stealth with $40 million in new funding to deploy AI-powered agents that protect enterprise devices such as laptops — a class of systems known as endpoints. The company, cofounded by 35-year-old CEO Nati Hazut along with Hadar Krasner and Omri Mallis, says its software runs directly on devices, monitors for unusual activity, and communicates with users to explain risks and suggest safer actions. The round was led by Red Dot Capital Partners with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners and Picture Capital, and Bold plans to use the capital to advance its go-to-market strategy and scale globally with a focus on the US.

"It's part of our reality, and I think it's part of our strength," Hazut said of building the startup while Israel faces retaliatory strikes tied to the war with Iran, adding later: "Living without it would be better, and this is what we are all wishing for."

Context and technology

• Bold has developed lightweight AI agents designed to be installed on enterprise endpoints. The agents monitor how users interact with apps and data and look for behavior that is "out of the ordinary."
• Rather than only recommending that an organization block or allow an action, the agent "communicates with the user" to suggest alternative steps and to explain the associated risks, Hazut said.
• The AI runs directly on devices and does not require an internet connection, which Bold says reduces latency and lowers privacy risks by avoiding back-and-forth communication with cloud services.
• To keep hardware requirements modest, Bold uses smaller AI models so devices do not need powerful AI chips to run the software.
• Bold counts US enterprise customers including Shutterfly and Tekion, along with other Fortune 500 firms, and is particularly focused on highly regulated industries where endpoint security must balance protection with user productivity.
• Jeff Simon, CISO at Shutterfly, said: "As AI becomes part of daily workflows, Bold helps us apply security in a way that's effective but unobtrusive, so teams can keep moving fast without creating new risks."

Business outlook

Hazut said the fundraising process began before the outbreak of the war with Iran, and that investors were focused on Bold's technology rather than regional volatility. "I feel like the market is kind of like used to us, and it's kind of agnostic to the situation," he said. The company plans to deploy the $40 million to expand sales and marketing and to scale operations in the US — a priority market for many Israeli cyber startups.

Bold's launch highlights two converging forces shaping enterprise strategy in 2026: the rapid adoption of AI across workflows and the persistent regional security pressures facing Israeli technology companies. The startup says its approach seeks to make endpoint protection both more intelligent and less intrusive, addressing a core challenge for enterprises that must secure devices without slowing day-to-day work.