Israeli startup Huskeys raises $8M to improve web security

Founded in 2025 by CEO Itai Gafni and CTO Roy Weissfeld, who were both members of the IDF’s elite 8200 intelligence unit, the company is developing what it calls a new cybersecurity team: Edge Security Management (ESM). The platform is designed to work alongside web application firewalls (WAFs), rather than replacing them.

Internet application firewalls, widely used to filter and monitor Internet traffic, have remained largely unchanged for decades despite cyber threats. Huskeys says it will solve this gap by adding a layer of artificial intelligence that analyzes traffic, checks security rules and adjusts them in real time.

The company says its system helps organizations improve security while reducing fraudulent practices — such as legitimate users being banned — that can lead to lost revenue. In one case cited by the company, its platform identified overly restrictive security rules in the e-commerce space and recommended changes that prevented what it described as millions of dollars in potential losses.

Huskeys technology integrates with multiple cloud environments and existing security systems, allowing organizations to manage and improve security without changing application code.

Although less than a year old, the startup says it has already secured dozens of clients, including global companies such as TikTok, Merlin Entertainments and AI firm Hugging Face.

Internet application firewalls were invented and developed in Israel about 30 years ago, due to the need to filter application traffic as the Internet grew. However, nothing has changed since then, and the product has continued to function unchanged with technology for decades.

Huskey’s ESM (Edge Security Management) – a new patent-pending technology, which adds an Agentic AI layer (autonomous artificial intelligence that adapts to user needs) on top of corporate organizations and WAF tools. The platform integrates seamlessly with any existing WAF, enabling security teams to continuously measure performance, configure policy, and orchestrate security actions across multiple cloud and WAF environments, without replacing infrastructure or changing application code. The result, according to the company, is the right security that ultimately balances security needs and business results.

Huskeys currently employs about 20 people, mainly in Israel, and plans to expand its research and development and go-to-market teams as demand increases.

“The platform was designed for rapid deployment, enabling implementation within minutes and delivering value within hours,” said Gafni. “For organizations whose revenue is driven by online traffic, this is a real game changer.”