The cloud security startup that figured out you don't need to install software to scan it. Orca's agentless approach — reading cloud data directly from the provider's storage layer — was genuinely innovative and solved a real problem. Then Wiz did something similar, raised more money, and got bigger. Orca is still a strong product with real customers and $632M in funding, but the "we had it first" advantage didn't translate to market leadership. In cybersecurity, sales execution matters as much as technology.
Founded
2019
HQ
Tel Aviv, Israel / Portland, OR
Total Raised
$632M
Founder
Avi Shua, Gil Geron
Status
Private — valued at approximately $1.8 billion
Website
www.orca.securityTHE ORIGIN STORY
Avi Shua spent 25 years in cybersecurity, including serving as the CTO of an Israeli military intelligence unit. He saw that cloud adoption was creating massive security blind spots — companies were moving to the cloud faster than security teams could keep up.
In 2019, he and Gil Geron founded Orca with a breakthrough insight: you don't need to install software inside cloud workloads to scan them. By reading cloud infrastructure data directly from the provider's storage layer, Orca could see everything — vulnerabilities, malware, misconfigurations, sensitive data — without touching a single workload.
WHAT THEY ACTUALLY DO
Agentless cloud security platform. Traditional cloud security requires installing "agents" (software) on every cloud workload — which is slow, complex, and creates gaps.
Orca's patented SideScanning technology reads cloud infrastructure data directly from the cloud provider (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) without installing anything. Revenue comes from enterprise SaaS subscriptions based on cloud workload volume.
The pitch: complete cloud visibility in minutes, not months.
THE PRODUCTS
Orca Cloud Security Platform (agentless CNAPP), Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM), Cloud Workload Protection (CWPP), Cloud Detection and Response (CDR), Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), and Shift Left Security (scanning code before deployment). All powered by the patented SideScanning technology.
HOW THEY GREW
Platform expansion. Orca evolved from pure cloud security posture management (CSPM) to a comprehensive Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) covering vulnerability management, compliance, data security, and container security.
The unified platform approach — one tool for all cloud security — resonates with enterprises tired of managing 20 different security tools.
THE HARD PART
Competition from cloud providers themselves. AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud are all building their own security tools, threatening to bundle security for free with cloud services.
Wiz — another Israeli cloud security startup — overtook Orca as the market leader and reached a $12 billion valuation by 2024. The cloud security market is crowded with well-funded competitors.
Orca has to differentiate on technology while Wiz is outspending on sales and marketing.
MONEY TRAIL
Series A
2020 · Led by YL Ventures, GGV Capital
$20M raised
Series C
2021 · Led by Iconiq Growth, Redpoint
$340M raised
Growth
2023 · Led by Various investors
$200M raised
WHO BACKED THEM
Iconiq Growth, GGV Capital, Redpoint Ventures, YL Ventures, and GGVC backed Orca Security.
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