Sola Unveils $30M Funding to Revolutionize Security Payments

In today's digital age, companies have a plethora of apps and services at their fingertips to secure their networks, data, and assets. But what if you could create your own tailored apps to streamline the whole security process? That's the vision behind Sola, a fresh Israeli startup that's just come out of stealth mode. They've developed a low/no-code platform that empowers users to design their own cybersecurity apps, customized to their unique needs, including managing existing security tools. Sola is hitting the ground running with a hefty $30 million in seed funding, with the goal of making security more accessible and manageable for everyone.

Co-founder Guy Flechter puts it this way: "We're not just another CPSM or ASPM—those posture management tools with all the acronyms. We're aiming to revolutionize how you *think* about security, just like Stripe did with payments or Canva with design."

The funding round is being co-led by S Capital, founded by the team that started Sequoia Israel, and Mike Moritz, a former long-time Sequoia VC. Other participants include S32, Glilot Capital Partners, and some unnamed angel investors. Sola's been around for about a year, and while some details of the funding round leaked out early, the company kept its product under wraps until now.

Sola is the brainchild of two cybersecurity veterans who've seen both sides of the security coin. Flechter, who previously co-founded Cider Security (later acquired by Palo Alto Networks for $300 million in 2022), is the builder. His co-founder, Ron Peled, was the end user, having served as the chief infosec officer for AI commerce company LivePerson and advising other firms.

Flechter explains that currently, you've got two main options for tackling security challenges. You can buy a comprehensive commercial solution, often costing six figures, but you might not use all its features. Or, you can build your own using open-source components, which requires a high level of technical expertise.

Sola is aiming to introduce a third option. By leveraging AI and big data management, the platform is designed for organizations without large security teams and can be used by those without deep technical skills. Sola's interface allows users to set goals or ask questions in plain language, pulling in data from various sources to create a new "app" tailored to their specific assets.

While Sola can query data within existing security apps, it also includes built-in security tools to replace certain functions. For those not interested in building their own, Sola offers "ready-made" apps. The goal is to provide streamlined security services that do exactly what an organization needs, at a fraction of the usual cost.

The app gallery gives a glimpse into the kinds of functionality Sola can handle. For example, an AWS Network Security app provides a high-level summary of key AWS network security metrics, highlighting potential vulnerabilities. It can answer questions like "Which security groups have overly permissive rules?", "Which network protocols are enabled across my environment?", "Are there any unprotected open ports that could expose critical services?", and "What's the status of my VPC flow logs?"

Sola's app gallery includes dozens more pre-written apps covering other cloud environments, developer environments like GitHub, and major security tools such as Okta and Wiz.

Mike Moritz, making his first investment in a security startup as a solo investor, was drawn to Sola's approach of simplifying the front end while handling complex work in the back end, leveraging technological innovations. He sees Sola tapping into the rapid evolution of AI, noting the platform's significant advancements in the last 18 months. "It's clear that Sola is going to take advantage of all the advances that are occurring at breath-taking speed in the evolution of AI. That is very evident in its product," Moritz said in an interview.