Cybersecurity is no longer just an industry—it’s an arms race. And according to Kobi Samboursky, Co-founder of Glilot Capital Partners, the battlefield is being completely redrawn by artificial intelligence.
“Cyber has always been the gift that keeps on giving,” Kobi told me. “Every new technological wave—cloud, SaaS, now AI—creates entirely new classes of threats. But this time, AI is not just another wave. It’s a tsunami.”
That distinction matters. Because if cyber used to evolve linearly, AI is accelerating the curve into exponential territory—reshaping not only the threat landscape, but also how investors, entrepreneurs, and defenders must think about strategy.
For us in Glilot, Cyber was always a great area to invest in, but now, we are in a Perfect Storm, in which three big waves are peaking at the same time: the need for Cyber security is at its peak, at the same time AI is transforming it completely. The third element is the Israeli ecosystem which is peaking now. I am positive that in the next few years multiple great Cyber & AI companies will emerge from Israel. Some will dominate new categories and some will displace incumbents that will not adapt to the new AI era.
1. The Barrier to Entry for Attackers Has Collapsed
The first and most urgent change Kobi sees is who can now launch sophisticated attacks.
“With AI, even small and inexperienced groups can execute precise, high-impact attacks,” he said.
That insight mirrors what we’re seeing at Clarity: deepfakes, phishing, and social engineering attacks once reserved for nation-state actors are now being run by script kiddies. AI has democratized offense. And defenders who still rely on old assumptions—like knowing your adversary’s profile—are already behind.
2. Cybersecurity Teams Can’t Keep Up—And Shouldn’t Try
Kobi didn’t mince words when talking about the operational reality for modern security teams.
“Imagine facing a million alerts a day. No human team can manage that effectively,” he said. “AI isn’t just a convenience—it’s an operational necessity.”
It’s a shift from dashboards to decisions. From alerts to actions. At Clarity, we’re seeing the same pattern: CISOs no longer want more visibility—they want automation that acts on their behalf.
3. We’re Not Just Fixing Problems—We’re Redefining Them
The most exciting part of this transformation, in Kobi’s view, is the opportunity to rethink fundamentals.
“AI lets us revisit old problems with new eyes,” he said. “Outdated solutions can be turned into powerful defenses when AI reframes the approach.”
That insight reflects Glilot’s broader strategy: to invest in startups not just building better tools—but building the next generation of security primitives. AI-native, autonomous, integrated.
Final Takeaway: This Shift Isn’t Optional
Perhaps the strongest statement Kobi made during our conversation was this:
“This shift isn’t optional—organizations must embrace AI or remain vulnerable.”
And he’s right. The cyber winners of the next decade won’t be the ones who iterate fastest on legacy. They’ll be the ones who bet early—and boldly—on AI as the foundation of their security stack.
The role of the investor, in Kobi’s mind, is not just to fund the transition—but to help drive it. Glilot isn’t just backing startups. It’s helping architect the future of cyber itself.
In an era where threat actors move at the speed of tokens and APIs, only AI can keep up. But only if organizations are willing to let go of the old playbook—and build a new one from first principles.
Michael Matias is the CEO and Co-Founder of Clarity, an AI-powered cybersecurity startup backed by Bessemer Venture Partners and Walden Catalyst. Clarity develops advanced AI technologies protecting organizations from phishing, deepfakes, and AI-generated social engineering attacks. Michael studied Computer Science with a specialization in AI at Stanford University, led cyber teams in Unit 8200, was named to Forbes 18Under18 and 30Under30, authored the book Age is Only an Int, and hosts the podcast 20MinuteLeaders.
