Identity and access management has become central to enterprise cybersecurity, but for many organizations, the hardest part begins after the software is purchased. Deploying IAM across complex environments can take years, require extensive consulting support and cost several times more than the underlying technology.
As reported by Axios, Insight Partners and Glilot Capital are co-leading a $20 million investment in Way Security, a company founded by former security leaders Yossi Barishev and Yonatan Rosenberg that is taking aim at the operational challenges behind enterprise IAM.
Way Security has developed an AI-powered, agentic execution platform designed to automate the work traditionally performed by consultants, system integrators and internal engineering teams. Rather than replacing existing identity platforms, the company is focused on helping enterprises operationalize the investments they have already made.
A Costly IAM Services Problem
According to Way Security, enterprise IAM programs routinely run years past schedule and can reach seven- or eight-digit costs while still delivering less than promised. Implementation, customization and ongoing operational services can cost organizations three to five times the price of the software itself.
That has created a services ecosystem that, according to the company, has grown larger than the IAM software market it supports. Way Security believes the disparity points to an opportunity to automate the operational layer of identity.
“IAM is the only space in cyber where overspending and under-delivering is an acceptable reality,” said Barishev, co-founder and CEO of Way Security. “The more time we spent doing IAM, the more we realized how the industry normalized mediocrity and has almost given up trying to solve some of its biggest challenges.”
The company’s platform uses AI-driven automation and agentic workflows to handle tasks associated with identity lifecycle management, access governance, authentication and policy enforcement.
Working With Existing Identity Investments
Way Security is not asking enterprises to replace or replatform their existing IAM systems. Instead, its platform is designed to automate the operational work required to deploy and maintain those systems across the organization.
The company says its technology can apply identity controls across different types of identities and systems without custom integrations, manual workflows or ongoing dependence on application owners.
The approach also targets applications that can be difficult to incorporate into conventional identity programs, including legacy, homegrown and custom applications that do not support standard federation protocols.
“Most IAM teams aren’t looking to replace the platforms they’ve already invested in,” said Rosenberg, co-founder and CTO. “They’re looking to finally get the return on investment they were promised. We built Way Security to automate the work that has traditionally stood between buying an IAM platform and actually realizing its value.”
The company’s proposition is based on a simple premise: enterprises may already have the identity technology they need, but they lack an efficient way to operationalize it at scale.
“The issue isn’t that enterprises lack the right tools,” said Barishev. “It’s that those tools are incredibly expensive and complex to operationalize. We built Way Security to remove that friction.”
Founders Who Experienced The Challenge
Way Security was founded by Barishev and Rosenberg, who spent years working with large enterprises on identity, governance and security challenges. The pair advised Fortune 500 organizations through complex identity initiatives and led enterprise security organizations from within.
They also spent years leading incident response efforts for organizations facing significant cyber incidents, repeatedly seeing weak identity controls emerge as a root cause or critical enabler of successful attacks. Rosenberg additionally served as an officer in Israel’s Unit 8200.
Their experience helped shape Way Security’s focus on the operational challenges that can prevent identity programs from delivering their intended security benefits.
A New Investment In Identity Operations
The $20 million investment from Insight Partners and Glilot Capital reflects investor confidence in the opportunity to address the gap between IAM software and real-world execution.
“Identity is one of the most critical layers of enterprise security, yet organizations still struggle to operationalize their investments efficiently,” said Jeff Horing, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Way Security is addressing a large and persistent gap between IAM software and real-world execution.”
Nofar Amikam, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital, highlighted the founders’ experience and the market opportunity behind the company’s approach.
“As investors, we’re constantly looking for the rare combination of an exceptional team, a massive market opportunity, and a differentiated approach, said Nofar Amikam, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital. “With Yossi and Yonatan, all three were evident from our very first meeting. They possess a deep understanding of the identity challenges facing large enterprises because they’ve lived them firsthand, and they’ve built a fundamentally better way to solve them. Identity has become the foundation of modern security, and we believe this team has the vision, talent, and determination to build the company that will define how the next generation of enterprises manages and secures it.”
Way Security says it is already working with Fortune 500 companies, global healthcare organizations and financial institutions. The company plans to expand its U.S. presence and continue investing in its identity operations platform.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in the market,” said Rosenberg. “Identity has become the foundation of enterprise security, yet organizations still struggle to operationalize it effectively. Our priority now is to move quickly, expand our platform, grow our presence in the U.S., and establish Way Security as the category leader in identity operations before the market catches up.”
John Kevin Hao is a news and feature writer covering cybersecurity, technology, and business targeted for professional audiences.