Vector hands $50m to Israeli cybersecurity firm KELA

The KELA Group, an Israeli provider of advanced cyber intelligence software and solutions, has landed $50m in fresh funding.

The investment came from San Francisco-based Vector Capital, marking the first institutional funding received by KELA in its nine-year history.

Founded in 2009 by Israeli intelligence veterans, KELA provides advanced cyber intelligence software and solutions to enterprises and governmental agencies.

Its security platform, RaDark, leverages advanced algorithms, data science, and Israeli intelligence expertise to provide targeted and automated darknet monitoring and cybersecurity solutions.

KELA’s automated platform provides real-time actionable intelligence about threats specifically targeting the client’s organisation, such as leaked user credentials or IT infrastructure vulnerabilities, allowing organisations to thwart attacks before they take place.

By mapping the most relevant attack vectors and leak sources, its clients get a completely external viewpoint of their situation and vulnerabilities in order to prevent data breaches at the earliest possible stage.

Matt Blodgett, Vector managing director, who has joined KELA’s board of directors, said: “We see tremendous potential for enterprise and government security and fraud prevention teams to utilise KELA’s unique software and intelligence expertise to better identify and protect themselves from cyber threats, and look forward to introducing the company’s specialised products to customers and partners across North America.”

With $3.8bn of capital under management, Vector Capital is a global private equity firm specialising in transformational investments in established technology businesses. Its previous investments are 20-20 Technologies, Allegro Development, Cambium Networks, ChyronHego, CollabNet, Corel, Emarsys, Halogen Software, LANDesk Software, RAE Systems, Saba Software, SafeNet, Technicolor, Teletrac, and WatchGuard Technologies

Earlier this year, cybersecurity startup empow closed its Series B funding round on $10m. Headquartered in Israel, empow provides an orchestration platform that uses AI and machine learning analytics to classify threats and alerts based on intent. It identifies the most actionable ones and then uses the existing security infrastructure to respond.

Perception Point, a Tel Aviv-based cybersecurity firm whose technology intercepts attacks, also recently closed a $8m Series A funding round. Founded in 2015 by Israeli cyber-intelligence experts, Perception Point has developed a platform blending the best of hardware and software capabilities to detect exploits before hackers are able to penetrate an organisation.