Team8

Team8 is an Israeli company that creates startups in the field of information security (information security).

Aktivs

By early 2017, the syndicate included two companies:

• Illusive Networks (offers hacker-deceiving technology to detect cyber threats in banks and retail chains) and
• Claroty (develops a platform to protect critical infrastructure in industrial enterprises, oil and gas fields), which in 2016 earned $22 million each.

By the beginning of 2017, the company had a staff of 180 people working in Israel, the USA, Britain and Singapore.

History

2020: Creating a fund to invest in IT startups

In early June 2020, ex-employees of Israeli cyber intelligence, who founded Team8, announced the creation of Team8 Capital, a new venture capital fund that will invest in data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity projects . Read more here.

2017: Microsoft, Qualcomm and Citibank investments

On January 9, 2017, it became known about Microsoft's investments in Team8. This deal demonstrates that major international companies are supporting the fast-growing Israeli market for cybersecurity technology amid an increase in hacker threats.

In addition to Microsoft, the American microprocessor manufacturer Qualcomm and Citibank also invested in the Team8. The latter will help Team8 in product development. The raised money is planned to be spent on the launch of two new companies.

Microsoft and Qualcomm invest in company founded by ex-leaders of Israeli cyber intelligence

Among the early investors of the Team8 are also Cisco, AT&T, Accenture, Nokia, Temasek, Mitsui, Bessemer Venture Partners and Innovation Endeavors and Marker, executive chairman of the board of directors of Google Eric Schmidt. Taking into account the financing of Microsoft, Qualcomm and Citi (the volume of investments was not disclosed), a total of more than $92 million was invested in the Team8.

Commenting on the deal with Team8, the head of the Israeli development center Microsoft Yoram Yaacovi noted that in two or three years the number of cyber attacks in the world increased from 20 thousand to 600-700 thousand per week.

By the beginning of 2017, there are about 450 information security startups in Israel. These companies account for 20% of investments in the global information security sector, reports Reuters.^[1]

2014: Ex-Israeli cyber intelligence executives found company

Team8 was founded in 2014 by former leaders of Israeli cyber intelligence, including Nadav Zafrir.

Notes