Vanta signed a deal on November 9 to buy Israeli AI security startup Pillar Security, co-founded by Ziv Karliner, for a reported $150M, Calcalist reports.
Vanta, the San Francisco security and compliance platform, signed a definitive agreement on November 9, 2026 to acquire Pillar Security, an Israeli startup co-founded by CEO Ziv Karliner (זיו קרלינר) that protects AI agents. Calcalist reported the price at about $150 million in cash and shares. Pillar will become Vanta's research and development center in Israel.
בקצרה: ונטה (Vanta) חתמה על הסכם מחייב לרכישת פילר סקיוריטי (Pillar Security), סטארט-אפ ישראלי שהוקם ב-2023 ומאבטח סוכני בינה מלאכותית. לפי כלכליסט, התמורה עומדת על כ-150 מיליון דולר במזומן ובמניות.
What is Pillar Security?
Pillar Security is an Israeli AI security company, founded in 2023, that tests and protects autonomous AI agents while they run. Vanta's announcement describes the platform as covering the full agent lifecycle, with runtime protection, adversarial testing and governance. Calcalist reports that Pillar has raised $9 million since it began and has a team of more than 20 employees.
Ziv Karliner is Pillar's CEO and co-founder, and he leads the company being sold. In the announcement he said Vanta's governance platform gives Pillar a route to make AI security part of every company's governance program. Pillar's research team also developed SAIL, a framework for securing AI agents aligned with ISO and NIST standards and OWASP guidance, according to Vanta. Pillar's own site says it was named a 2026 Gartner Cool Vendor in AI Software Security.
Why is Vanta buying an AI security startup?
Vanta is buying Pillar to connect the AI policies companies write with controls that act on AI agents in real time. Vanta introduced an AI governance product in July 2026, and the Pillar deal builds on it, according to the company's announcement. Pillar's runtime protection and adversarial testing would let that product monitor and restrict what agents actually do, not only record the policy.
Customer growth gives the deal context. Vanta says it now serves more than 20,000 customers, including Snowflake, GitHub, Ramp, Cursor, Icelandair and the Golden State Warriors. Calcalist adds that the count was 16,000 in the first quarter of 2026 and that Vanta passed $300 million in annual recurring revenue in April 2026, up 63% from a year earlier. Vanta plans to bring Pillar's technology into its platform throughout 2027.
How does the Pillar price compare with other Israeli cyber deals?
At a reported $150 million, the Pillar deal is small next to the largest Israeli cyber exits but large relative to the capital Pillar raised. The reported price is about 16 times the $9 million Pillar has raised, by Olam's arithmetic from Calcalist's figures. The table sets it beside two other recent deals for Israeli cyber companies.
| Deal | Buyer | Reported price | Timing | What was bought |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar Security | Vanta | About $150M in cash and shares (Calcalist) | Signed November 9, 2026 | AI agent security company with a team of 20+ |
| Riskey | Vanta | Not disclosed | July 2025 | Israeli vendor risk management provider |
| XM Cyber technology | CrowdStrike | About $586M (Calcalist) | Reported October 2026 | Patents and source code, not customers or revenue |
Pillar is Vanta's second Israeli acquisition after Riskey and its third overall, following Trustpage in January 2023. Olam's ranking of the biggest Israeli exits ever puts Wiz and CyberArk far above this range. CrowdStrike's deal is covered in Olam's report on the CrowdStrike XM Cyber purchase.
What does the deal mean for Israel's cyber sector?
The Pillar acquisition adds another Israeli startup team that will work as the Israeli research center of a foreign parent. Calcalist reports Pillar will become Vanta's research and development center in Israel, so the engineering team stays in the country after the sale. Riskey, bought in 2025, was also an Israeli company.
The announcement landed on the first day of Cyber Week at Tel Aviv University, which runs November 9 to 12. Olam's earlier count of Israeli cybersecurity companies in America put acquisitions at $64.75 billion over 13 months, and Pillar is a small addition to that total.
What is still unconfirmed?
The $150 million price comes from Calcalist, and Olam has not seen Vanta or Pillar confirm it. The agreement is signed but not completed, and the announcements Olam reviewed give no closing date. No report so far explains how proceeds will divide between Pillar's founders, employees and investors.
Frequently asked questions
Who is acquiring Pillar Security?
Vanta, a San Francisco security and compliance platform, signed a definitive agreement on November 9, 2026 to acquire Pillar Security.
How much is Vanta paying for Pillar Security?
Calcalist reported that Vanta is paying about $150 million in cash and shares for Pillar Security. Vanta and Pillar have not been reported confirming the figure.
Who runs Pillar Security?
Ziv Karliner is Pillar Security's CEO and co-founder. The company was founded in 2023 and has raised $9 million, according to Calcalist.
What happens to Pillar's Israeli team?
Pillar will become Vanta's research and development center in Israel, according to Calcalist. Its team numbers more than 20 employees.
When will Pillar's technology reach Vanta customers?
Vanta plans to integrate Pillar's technology into its platform throughout 2027, with several new capabilities scheduled for release.
Has the Vanta and Pillar deal closed?
The Vanta and Pillar deal has not closed yet. The agreement was signed on November 9, 2026, and the announcements reviewed by Olam do not state a closing date.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
