Cisco Investments, the venture capital division of networking firm Cisco, has made a strategic investment in Zafran Security. The deal marks the second major funding round for the cybersecurity startup in the last six months, following an earlier investment from American Express Ventures.
While the specific amount of Cisco’s contribution was not disclosed, the company stated that the new capital will push Zafran’s total funding past $140 million, up from approximately $130 million. This financial update arrives shortly after reports emerged that Snir Havdala, a co-founder and the company’s chief product officer, had departed to accept a management role at Nvidia.
Zafran was established in 2022 by Sanaz Yashar, Havdala, and Ben Seri. The three founders are veterans of Israel’s defense establishment. Yashar, who immigrated to Israel from Tehran, spent 15 years in Unit 8200 before leading international cyber investigations at FireEye-Mandiant. Her career inspired the character of Mossad agent Tamar Rabinyan in the television series Tehran.
The startup has faced headwinds in a crowded market. Recent reports indicated that Zafran has struggled to accelerate growth despite being viewed as one of Israel’s most promising cybersecurity firms. Nevertheless, it has attracted a roster of notable investors, including Sequoia Capital, Cyberstarts, Menlo Ventures, PSP Growth, and Vintage Investment Partners.
Janey Hoe, vice president at Cisco Investments, highlighted the shifting nature of digital threats. She noted that security teams now face the challenge of orchestrating remediation efforts as the threat landscape becomes more complex in the age of artificial intelligence.
Zafran’s platform is designed to integrate with existing security infrastructure rather than replace it. The software analyzes data from multiple defense tools to prioritize vulnerabilities based on actual risk levels. The company argues that AI has enabled attackers to operate with greater speed and sophistication, making it harder for organizations to identify which issues require immediate attention.