The Israeli startup Dream, specialised in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, has closed a $260 million funding round that values the company at $3 billion. The firm plans to open its first regional office in Latin America, taking advantage of the political shift towards leaders aligned with Trump and Israel.
Dream, the Israeli artificial intelligence and cybersecurity startup, has raised $260 million in a funding round led by Bicycle Capital and Group 11. The operation values the company at $3 billion and will finance its expansion plan in Latin America, where it expects to open a regional office in the coming months.
A Latin American market with new political opportunities
Dream's co-founder, Shalev Hulio, confirmed that the company is in talks with several governments in the region and will decide in the coming weeks on the location of its first regional headquarters. The candidates are Bogotá, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro.
“Latin America is now the main focus of the company,” declared Hulio. “The current political environment allows it. There are great leaders in Latin America.”
“Latin America is now the main focus of the company. The current political environment allows it. There are great leaders in Latin America.”
The Israeli startup is betting on the political cycle change in the region. In the past year, candidates with good relations with the United States and Israel have won elections in Bolivia, Honduras, Chile, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Peru. Hulio believes that these new leaders, more resolute in the fight against crime, will be willing to invest in cybersecurity.
Colombia is one of the most promising markets following the victory of conservative Abelardo De la Espriella in last month's presidential elections. The new president, who will take office on August 7, has already contacted Israeli President Isaac Herzog to restore bilateral relations, which were broken during Gustavo Petro's term in 2024.
Cyberattacks on the rise in a vulnerable region
Latin America and the Caribbean is the region of the world where detected cyberattacks are growing the fastest, according to a World Bank study. Moreover, it is the least protected: its average cybersecurity score is 10.2 out of 20. The public sector is the most affected.
Recent examples abound. In 2022, a ransomware attack in Costa Rica paralysed tax and customs platforms, disrupted international trade, and forced hospitals to revert to paper. Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, and Peru have also suffered data breaches affecting police, military, and public alert systems.
Dream is already providing assistance to some countries in the region, although Hulio did not wish to identify them. The company offers a customised AI platform for governments and state-owned enterprises looking to protect their data against increasingly sophisticated threats.
Hulio's past: from Pegasus to cyber defence
Shalev Hulio is no stranger to the world of cybersecurity. He was a co-founder of NSO Group, the company behind the controversial spyware Pegasus, used by governments to spy on the phones of their targets. Now, with Dream, he aims to focus on national cyber defence, a market he considers cleaner and less controversial.
The Israeli company already operates in several countries and hopes that its entry into Latin America will boost its growth. The $260 million funding round provides financial muscle to compete with industry giants like Palo Alto Networks or CrowdStrike.
For readers interested in cybersecurity, Dream's arrival in the region means a greater offering of digital defence solutions, especially for public administrations and strategic companies. The timelines are tight: the decision on the regional office will be known in weeks, and commercial implementation could begin before the end of the year.
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