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Oak lands $60M seed for one identity system
Israeli startup Oak emerged from stealth with a $60M seed round to build a single identity platform for humans, machines, and AI agents.
Image: TNW
Most companies still can’t say exactly who — or what — has access to their systems at any given moment. Oak, an Israeli startup emerging from stealth, has raised $60M in a seed round to tackle that problem with what it calls an “identity operating system.”
The company’s pitch is a single control plane for every identity inside an organization: human users, machines, and AI agents. According to Oak, that matters because identity is effectively the front door to a company, making it a prime target for attackers. Many businesses still rely on a patchwork of older tools built for human employees and slower-moving systems, while the rapid growth of machine and agent accounts has outpaced them.
Oak says its software connects to any system, creates a live map of every identity based on real behavior, and removes access that is no longer being used. The company says it does this in real time, rather than through a yearly access review.
The startup is led by CEO Shai Morag, a serial founder who has built and sold three security companies. Those include Ermetic, which Tenable bought for $265m in 2023, according to TechCrunch. His exits total about $500m.
“Our vision is to be born as a giant.”
Morag also said he told his wife Oak would be his last company: “I will go big or go home.”
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The round was co-led by Accel, Greylock, and CRV, and was first reported by Calcalist. TNW says it is one of the largest seed rounds ever for an Israeli cyber firm. Oak already has about 50 employees and paying enterprise customers.
Oak is entering a crowded and increasingly valuable part of cybersecurity. Palo Alto Networks recently agreed to buy CyberArk, underscoring how important the identity market has become. The pressure is rising with AI agents, as companies try to figure out how autonomous systems should be identified and controlled. Researchers have already manipulated agents into leaking private code and even carrying out a ransomware attack.
Oak’s bet is that everything from employee logins to Alexa-style assistants will eventually be managed under one roof — and Morag believes the winners in the category could be worth “tens and even hundreds of billions.”
Security Editor
Sophia unpacks the invisible wars happening on our networks. Covering cybersecurity, privacy legislation, and cryptography, she exposes how our data is weaponized and defended. Before joining for(geeks), she spent years as a penetration tester. She's the reason the rest of the team uses physical security keys.
via TNW
