Welcome to The Trident Radar.
Q4 has officially kicked off and my word are we busy!
I know I promised a full Q3 breakdown but instead I have popped in a section in this week’s newsletter.
Let's dive in.
Swimlane’s big swing: new SEC filing shows a $143M raise as SOAR goes fully AI-driven.
Filigran scales up: $58M Series C to expand OpenCTI globally and ship AI-native intel modules.
Pentera + DevOcean: validation meets remediation in a deal that rewrites where testing stops.
Authentic8 lands growth capital: $12M to fuel the quiet comeback of browser isolation.
Q3 snapshot: Over 300 tracked cyber deals totalling $25b+ with M&A leading the charge.
Insider Insight: The hiring market is evolving, it’s no longer about headcount; it’s about horsepower.
FUNDING SPOTLIGHT
Swimlane – Growth – $143M (SEC Filing)
AI-enhanced SOAR platform filing signals new capital as automation budgets consolidate around outcome-based security.
Filigran – Series C – $58M (Eurazeo Growth)
Developer of OpenCTI, expanding globally with AI-powered intel correlation and collaboration features.
Realm Security – Series A – $15M (Jump Capital)
AI-native security data pipeline replacing legacy SIEM ingestion with lightweight data streaming for detection and response.
Authentic8 – Growth – $12M (Vistara Growth)
Remote browser isolation and safe browsing platform reducing endpoint exposure for sensitive users.
Sitehop – Series A – £7.5M (Northern Gritstone)
UK sovereign encryption vendor building quantum-resistant secure networking hardware.
MindTheHack – Seed – €2.8M (DEEP Capital)
Athens-based cyber-training startup blending simulation, gamification, and AI-driven awareness.
1Password – Strategic Secondary – ≈ $100M (Halo Fund)
Secondary transaction maintains valuation while funding deeper AI and enterprise passwordless initiatives.
M&A INTELLIGENCE
Pentera → DevOcean (Announced Oct 9)
Pentera’s move merges continuous validation with remediation management, shifting from proof to action.
It’s a defining acquisition for automation-driven defense, and a sign that next year’s SOC budgets will favor platforms that close loops, not just find gaps.
INSIDER INSIGHT
2026 Hiring: Fewer Hires, Bigger Impact
2026 hiring is already taking shape and the pattern is clear: companies are trading volume for velocity. Just like the funding market.
The first half of next year will be shaped by decisions made now. Funding remains steady into Q4, and January is set to be a “Day 1 start” month, not a wait-and-see quarter.
Across cybersecurity GTM, the winners are investing in fewer but higher-leverage roles like AEs, SEs, and RevOps pros who can stretch further with AI tools.
AI is changing the work itself.
Top-of-funnel prospecting is being automated. Value now sits mid-to-late-funnel, where technical credibility, ROI storytelling, and customer data usage matter most. That’s pushing demand towards SEs, PreSales, and CSMs, while SDR headcount continues to shrink.
Tenure is shifting too.
More short stints are appearing on résumés, but they often reflect early-stage turbulence, not underperformance. The smart hiring teams will read context, not just chronology.
Pay is staying competitive.
Median AE OTEs sit near $250K, SEs around $260K, and Sales Leadership consistently above $400K.
Leadership hires will be fewer but pricier, with bigger targets and equity attached.
Geo priorities: US → UK → Israel → DACH/France.
These remain the most active GTM corridors for security hiring heading into 2026.
The bottom line: 2026 will reward precise smart hires. Investing in people that can grow teams around them will be key.
Q3 2025 FUNDING REVIEW
A look back at Q3…
Volume: Over 300 cyber deals logged across Q3
Disclosed total: ≈ $25B+
Mix: M&A + Secondary 36%, Early 32%, Later 17%, Out-of-Business 9%, IPO 2%
Top Regions: Americas (55%) • Israel (25–30%) • Europe/Asia (15%)
Top Cities: London, Tel Aviv, San Francisco, New York
Stage Breakdown
Early Stage: Seed and Series A dominated volume.
Later Stage VC: Funding totals driven by fewer, larger rounds.
M&A/Secondary: Highest value share, especially in AI and OT security.
Themes that defined the quarter:
AI everywhere: Roughly 40% of Q3 deals explicitly involved AI positioning.
M&A momentum: 19 notable acquisitions — led by CrowdStrike → Pangea and Check Point → Lakera.
Out-of-Business trend: 15 well known companies shut down, a natural cleanup after five years of over-funding.
Hiring alignment: Founding AE and RevOps demand surged post-raise, confirming that capital is going straight into revenue infrastructure.
The quarter proved what many suspected, cybersecurity is maturing into a “fewer, bigger bets” market.
HOT JOBS
Head of Sales – AI Agent Platform | USA Remote AI-driven platform purpose-built for cybersecurity teams. Enables analysts to build and manage their own team of agentic security bots. $400K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Head of Sales – Identity Security | New York / USA Remote AI-native identity security platform redefining IAM through adaptive, agentic automation. $400K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Founding Account Executive | Tel Aviv Data protection company providing full visibility into sensitive data movement with automated leak detection and seamless deployment. $360K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Founding Account Executive | New York / Remote AI-powered security platform redefining data and cloud protection for the enterprise. $330K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Account Executive – Threat Intelligence Platform | NYC / Remote Series A threat-led defense company mapping adversary behavior to enterprise security stacks. $350K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Account Executive – Brand Protection | Boston Cutting-edge platform protecting enterprises from online brand scams and impersonation attacks. $150K OTE.
Contact: [email protected]
Ready to make your next move? These roles won't stay open long.
BOTTOM LINE
For Security Vendors: Don’t sell features. Sell outcomes. If your tool can’t show a measurable improvement in investigation or remediation time, it’s competing for limited wallet space.
For Enterprise Buyers: Skip the noise. Buy the tools that reduce operational burden, not create more dashboards. Ask vendors: “How will this help me right now?”
For Investors: Look for multipliers in lean builds. Funding is shifting from more bets to fewer bets that do more, i.e automation, remediation, data pipelines. That’s where returns will compress.
NEXT WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
A European startup raises funding for autonomous remediation or agentic SOC workloads.
Expect continued late-stage secondary activity as growth funds prepare for 2026.
Watch Israeli founders with dual US presence, they’re leading another GTM hiring wave.
📥 INBOX INTEL
Have market intelligence to share? Our network sees deals before they're announced, hiring freezes before they're public, and technology shifts before they hit the headlines.
Send us your tips:
Funding rounds in stealth mode
Executive movements and reorganizations
Customer wins/losses that signal market shifts
Technology partnerships before they're announced
Hiring sprees or freezes at specific companies
Email: [email protected]
All sources protected. We verify before we publish.
The Trident Radar - Intelligence that moves faster than your competition
Delivered by Trident Search Research Desk
Editor: Ryan Keeley | London