Upwind, a rising star in cloud security, has announced a $250 million Series B funding round. The investment was led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with new support from Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital. Existing investors, including Greylock, Cyberstarts, Leaders Fund, Craft Ventures, TCV, Alta Park, Cerca Partners, Swish Ventures, and Penny Jar Capital, also participated. Since its founding in 2022, Upwind has now raised a total of $430 million.

The company is experiencing rapid growth. It reports a 900% increase in revenue year-over-year and has doubled its customer base. Over the past year, Upwind expanded its team from 150 to more than 300 employees and increased its presence across the U.S., U.K., and Israel. It is also building momentum in Australia, India, Singapore, and Japan. This growth underscores the increasing demand for advanced cloud security solutions.

Revolutionizing Cloud Security with Real-Time Protection

Upwind positions itself as a runtime-first cloud security platform. Instead of relying on static security snapshots, it focuses on real-time signals from running cloud workloads. The company believes traditional cloud security models struggle to keep pace with fast-changing cloud environments and AI-driven applications. This approach aims to provide more accurate and timely insights into security threats.

According to Upwind’s CEO and co-founder, Amiram Shachar, the next era of cloud security must be centered on real-time data. He explained that Upwind was built to adapt to where cloud technology is headed, not where it has been. This shift toward dynamic security signals helps organizations better protect their cloud workloads from evolving threats.

The cloud security market is booming. Industry analysts project the global market for Cloud-Native Application Protection Platforms (CNAPP) will reach nearly $19 billion by 2029, growing at around 28% annually. Experts also forecast that by then, 40% of enterprises implementing zero trust strategies will rely on CNAPP solutions for visibility and control, highlighting the importance of innovative security tools like Upwind’s.

Helping Enterprises Reduce Security Noise and Focus on Threats

Upwind is already working with major global companies. Its clients include Waste Management, Siemens, Carvana, Roku, Wix, Nubank, Agoda, Peloton, Fiverr, and BILL. Customers report a 98% reduction in security alerts and a 60% decrease in irrelevant CVEs, making security teams more effective. By filtering out noise, teams can concentrate on real threats instead of chasing false alarms.

Jerich Beason, the CISO at Waste Management, shared that Upwind’s real-time insights show what’s happening during workload execution and why it matters. This clarity helps security teams respond faster and more accurately. Over the past year, Upwind expanded its partner network by over 100 companies, including independent software vendors, managed service providers, and resellers. The company also announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA and strengthened ties with Microsoft Azure and AWS.

With the new funding, Upwind plans to accelerate product development and expand into new markets. The company aims to enhance its offerings in data security, AI security, and code security. It will continue investing in customer support and advancing its platform’s capabilities to address emerging threats and challenges in the cloud space.

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