Huskeys raises $8 million Seed round to fix web security flaws, already working with TikTok
AI-driven system targets inefficiencies in legacy firewall technology.
Israeli cybersecurity startup Huskeys has emerged from stealth with $8 million in Seed funding, targeting a long-standing weakness in web application security.
Founded in 2025, the company focuses on web application firewalls (WAFs), a core security technology developed roughly 30 years ago that remains widely used but has changed little over time. Huskeys’ approach does not replace these systems. Instead, it adds an artificial intelligence layer designed to analyze, manage and optimize how they operate.
The platform continuously reviews firewall rules and network configurations, adjusting them to better distinguish between legitimate users and malicious traffic. The aim is to reduce errors that can block real users, an issue that can directly affect revenue for online businesses.
In one example, the company said its system identified a misconfigured firewall that was preventing customers from completing purchases on an e-commerce site. Adjusting the rules eliminated the issue and prevented potential losses estimated in the millions of dollars.
Huskeys describes its product as a new category, “Edge Security Management,” focused on improving visibility and control over existing security infrastructure. The system is designed to work across multiple cloud environments and firewall providers without requiring changes to application code.
Despite being less than a year old, the company says it has already secured dozens of customers, including large global organizations such as TikTok, Merlin Entertainments and Hugging Face. Its system processes more than one trillion traffic requests across tens of thousands of domains, while analyzing thousands of firewall rules daily.
The company was founded by Itai Gafni, CEO, and Roy Weissfeld, CTO, both alumni of Israel’s Unit 8200. Gafni previously led artificial intelligence initiatives within the unit, while Weissfeld worked as a security researcher focused on web security.
The Seed round includes a mix of venture capital firms, cybersecurity entrepreneurs and corporate security executives, alongside investors from outside the technology sector, including professional athletes and sports organizations. Among the investors are funds such as ToDay (part of Merlin Ventures), 10D, SVAngel, CCL, Alumni Ventures, as well as prominent angels from the network security and cybersecurity domains, including serial entrepreneurs Ariel Maislos, Benny Schneider, and Ofer Ben-Noon, Chekmarx founder Matti Siman, Ermetic founder Michael Dolinsky, and the founders of Demisto. The investor group also includes dozens of CISOs from Fortune 500 companies, well-known athletes such as footballer Mario Götze and NFL legend Larry Fitzgerald, as well as The Players Fund - an investment platform supported by the Premier League and international cultural figures and an investment partner of Italian football clubs Juventus and Como.
Huskeys currently employs about 20 people, most of them in Israel, and plans to expand its research and go-to-market teams.
“Huskeys’ value lies in delivering the tool every CISO has been seeking for years, without forcing them to replace existing infrastructure,” said Itai Gafni, Co-Founder and CEO of Huskeys. “The platform was designed for rapid deployment, enabling implementation within minutes and delivering value within hours. For organizations whose revenue is driven by website traffic, this is a true game changer; not only improving security posture, but also generating additional revenue.”
