Mind the Tech NY
"Israeli companies are born global, AI strengthens this"
"Pain is our beacon for finding the solution and what built us as a company," Yotam Segev, CEO of Cyera, which raised at a $9 billion valuation, was speaking at Calcalist and Leumi’s Mind the Tech New York 2026 conference. LeumiTech CEO Maya Eisen Zafrir: "Israeli entrepreneurs have proven what we all already knew: They are the best in the world."
Yotam Segev (left) & Maya Eisen Zafrir
(Reyan Preuss)
"In the first quarter of 2026, Israeli high-tech raised $3.4 billion, according to the IVC-LeumiTech report. This is a 50% increase compared to the same quarter last year. And all this happened during a period of intense war with Iran. Once again, Israeli entrepreneurs have proven what we all already knew: they are the best in the world. This is not luck. This is not a coincidence. This is what happens in a country that treats the impossible as a starting point," said Maya Eisen Zafrir, CEO of LeumiTech, at the Calcalist and Bank Leumi Mind the Tech New York 2026 conference.
"Amidst these strong numbers, there is a trend that we see, both globally and in Israel: Capital is becoming more concentrated. In the first quarter alone, over half of the capital went to just 10% of the companies. Which means that now, more than ever, the market rewards those who build correctly. The market is becoming increasingly selective. And this makes one thing clear: perfect execution is more important today than ever."
Eisen Zafrir hosted Yotam Segev, co-founder and CEO of Cyera, a company that has become a global enterprise player that leads in AI-based information security — and recently announced a funding round at a valuation of $9 billion.
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What was one key decision you made early on that really shaped your trajectory?
Segev: "The most important decision for us was to put everything on the pain of our customers. The term pain that we look for in customers should be very painful. Maybe it's not the most painful thing, but a painful problem that they are looking for a solution to. Pain is our beacon for finding the solution and for what built us as a company.
If in the past companies could afford to 'grow into their mistakes' - today the expectations are completely different: you have to build correctly. And you have to build quickly. I read that you once said that you were 'one step away from the edge'. How do you move forward in moments like these? And how do you know that you are really on the right track?
"In the early days of our company and the desire to understand how to sell, not everything worked smoothly for us and there was a stage where we were not sure that it was working for us. At that stage we focused only on what we knew how to control, there are many things that we could not control. We focused on the small things and continuing to maintain the energy and trust is the important challenge for us."
Cyera was founded when AI was still in its infancy, and today it is clearly the biggest wave that is reshaping everything around us. How has AI driven your growth? And what is fundamentally different about building a company today compared to just a few years ago?
"In Israel, we must have the best technology to win every war and the entire business world. Using Claude is a must, not a choice. If we want to be at the cutting edge of technology, we have no choice, we have a duty. For us, AI is an urgent thing as a data company. This pain of AI has now become the main pain of our customers. Information security managers are turning to us demanding to save them now.
"From our experience, our story has not yet written the first chapter. We are a young company that is building its future and the most important thing is trust with customers. Trust that is built and maintained, and trust is different in every country in which we operate. People speak differently, communicate differently. This is what guides us in the transition to a global company from a company that has so far focused only on the United States."
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs who are here at the very beginning of their journey?
"You are the light of the industry. The advice I give you is that you have to believe in the company. No one will believe in it more than you. Many will believe in it but no one like you."
Watch the full exchange in the video above.
