Upwind runtime cloud security raises $250M at $1.5B valuation

Upwind runtime cloud security has reached a $1.5 billion valuation after closing a $250 million Series B.
The funding follows four years of product uncertainty, market resistance, and a deliberate shift in how cloud threats are identified and prioritized.

The company serves large, data-intensive organizations with significant cloud footprints.
Its customer list includes Siemens, Peloton, Roku, Wix, Nextdoor, and Nubank.
Despite the outcome, the path was not linear or predictable.

Upwind runtime cloud security focuses on active services and real-time risk signals.
This positioning challenges long-standing assumptions in cloud security operations.

Runtime cloud security emerged from sustained founder doubt

For several years, leadership questioned product-market fit and adoption viability.
Concerns centered on integration complexity and customer willingness to deploy internal software.
Traditional security models trained teams to rely on external scans and agentless tools.

Upwind runtime cloud security required a different mindset.
The approach depended on internal deployment and live operational signals.
This ran counter to standard procurement and permission structures inside enterprises.

However, internal hesitation did not stop continued product iteration.
The team committed to validating whether runtime context could reduce alert noise.
That persistence shaped the platform’s eventual direction.

Inside-out security reframed cloud risk prioritization

The platform prioritizes threats in active services using live network and API signals.
This “inside-out” model contrasts with external scanning methods.
External scans only show surface-level exposure.

By contrast, runtime context shows what is actually running.
It highlights which vulnerabilities matter now, not eventually.
This distinction helps teams focus remediation where it counts.

Upwind runtime cloud security treats real-time activity as essential context.
This design aims to reduce false positives and operational fatigue.
The approach challenges dominant assumptions in cloud security tooling.

Founder experience shaped the platform’s logic

Upwind’s founders previously built and sold Spot.io to NetApp in 2020.
That experience exposed gaps between DevOps knowledge and security workflows.
Security teams flagged risks without understanding internal infrastructure context.

This disconnect informed Upwind’s product philosophy.
The team believed operators understood cloud environments better than scanners.
Runtime signals offered clarity that external tools could not provide.

Upwind runtime cloud security emerged from this operational insight.
The goal was to align security alerts with actual infrastructure behavior.

Market resistance slowed early sales momentum

Security teams often lack authority to deploy internal software.
As a result, sales cycles were slow and uncertain.
Customers defaulted to familiar, agentless solutions.

The market was also crowded.
Enterprises resisted adding more point tools.
From the outset, Upwind needed a broad, integrated platform.

This requirement shaped product scope and roadmap decisions.
Only a comprehensive approach justified internal deployment.

Growth followed platform validation

Since its $100 million Series A in 2024, growth accelerated.
Revenue increased 900% year over year.
The customer base doubled during the same period.

Operations expanded beyond the U.S., U.K., and Israel.
New markets include Australia, India, Singapore, and Japan.
These regions reflect growing demand for runtime visibility.

Upwind runtime cloud security now targets organizations with complex cloud environments.

Series B funding reinforces platform expansion

The $250 million Series B was led by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Salesforce Ventures and Picture Capital also participated.
Capital will support product development and go-to-market execution.

Investment will extend AI security capabilities within the core platform.
The company also plans to move closer to developers.
The objective is preventing misconfigurations before production deployment.

This direction reinforces the runtime-first security model.

Strategic reflection for enterprise security leaders

Runtime-based security challenges long-held operational habits.
It demands deeper integration but promises clearer prioritization.
The trade-off remains central to modern cloud defense strategies.

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As cloud environments become more ephemeral and interconnected, which security assumptions should enterprises reconsider first?

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