Israeli cyber security firm Dream Security has become Israel’s first cyber unicorn for 2025.
Founded in 2023, by serial entrepreneur and former NSO founder Shalev Hulio, former Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz and former Prime Minister’s Office staffer and cyber expert Gil Dolev, Dream has hit a billion-dollar valuation after raising $100 million in its latest funding round.
The funding was led by Bain Capital Ventures (BCV), which has a portfolio of over 400 active companies, and will be used to primarily accelerate its expansion into additional markets, including the US and South America.
The company, which has offices in Tel Aviv, Vienna and Abu Dhabi, is developing systems to protect critical infrastructure for governments and industrial companies using artificial intelligence (AI). Dream’s website notes how it is “empowering governments and critical infrastructure with the tools and intelligence to defend against nation-state cyber threats and secure digital resilience.” Its unique AI model combines cyber defense capabilities and the ability to dive deep into significant cyber strikes.
“Never before has a company been founded with the primary mission of providing national cybersecurity protection for a country or a government,” said Shalev Hulio, co-founder and CEO of Dream. “We founded Dream to deliver a solution that truly works, specifically because it was designed with their needs in mind.”
“Having served as Prime Minister, I have experienced firsthand how state-level cyber threats differ significantly from those targeting private entities,” added Sebastian Kurz, co-founder and President of Dream.
“This is why we decided to bring this vision to life and build an AI company capable of defending nations and governmental institutions against sophisticated hostile state-sponsored cyberattacks.”
In the past year Dream has already forged cooperation with governments and national security agencies around the world, at a reported estimated value of $130 million.
As part of this funding round, industry leaders, Enrique Salem and Shlomo Yanai, will join Dream’s board of directors. Enrique Salem, partner at Bain Capital Ventures, previously served as CEO of Symantec and Chairman of Mediant. MG. (Res.) Shlomo Yanai is the former CEO of Teva Pharmaceuticals and currently serves on the board of Philip Morris.
