Cyber startup Torq joins unicorn ranks after $140 million raise at $1.2 billion valuation
Company uses autonomous AI agents to run and automate security operations centers.
Cybersecurity company Torq, which develops a platform for managing security operations centers through autonomous AI agents, has raised $140 million in a Series D funding round, valuing the company at $1.2 billion. Torq’s total funding now stands at $332 million.
The round was led by Merlin Ventures, a cybersecurity-focused fund specializing in U.S. federal markets, with participation from existing investors Insight Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Greenfield Partners, Evolution Equity Partners, Notable Capital, and J.P. Morgan Private Bank.
Torq was founded in 2020 by Ofer Smadari (CEO), Leonid Belkind (CTO), and Eldad Livni (CINO), all veterans of the cybersecurity and enterprise technology sectors. The founders bring extensive experience in managing complex systems, developing advanced cyber solutions, and building global technology companies.
Since its founding, Torq has grown rapidly and now employs more than 350 people worldwide, with offices in New York (its U.S. headquarters), Tel Aviv (its main development center), as well as Japan, Germany, Amsterdam, and London. Following the new funding, the company plans to hire an additional 200 employees in 2026 across its global operations.
In 2025, Torq reported approximately 300% revenue growth, driven by adoption among large enterprises using its platform to autonomously manage millions of security tasks. The company says it now protects hundreds of global organizations, including Marriott, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Siemens, Uber, and Virgin Atlantic, as demand accelerates for automated security operations in the AI era.
The new funding will be used to accelerate Torq’s global expansion. The partnership with Merlin Ventures is expected to play a key role in the company’s push into U.S. federal and public-sector markets, where cybersecurity procurement is shaped by complex regulatory and compliance requirements. Torq says Merlin’s experience could help it adapt its AI-driven platform for use in protecting critical infrastructure in the United States.
“This funding accelerates our mission to define and dominate the AI SOC (Security Operations Center) market. We are moving far beyond the constraints of legacy SOAR and SIEM, harnessing the Agentic AI Era to deliver outcomes our customers rely on,” said Ofer Smadari, CEO and co-founder. “Global enterprise adoption of our AI SOC Platform has validated our vision for the future of security operations. We have achieved tremendous revenue growth, with Fortune 100 customers adopting our AI Agents in their SOCs for everything from investigation to response. Our partnership with Merlin Ventures is the definitive signal that Torq is now ready to scale this massive customer success into the high-stakes Federal and Public Sector markets.”
Shay Michel, managing partner at Merlin Ventures, said the firm’s decision to lead the round reflected Torq’s maturity. “Torq is redefining security operations,” said Michel. “They’ve fused automation and human judgment into a new AI SOC Platform built for asymmetric threats and real-world scale. This is why Merlin is leading the investment. Our focus now is speed, accelerating go-to-market, expanding across commercial and government markets, and building the next global category leader in AI security operations.”
