Cybersecurity Emerges as Tech's Youngest Sector Amid Persistent Gender Gap
A new Altshare report reveals cybersecurity as tech's youngest sector with a median age of 36, while highlighting persistent gender gaps where women make up only a quarter of the workforce.
The Israeli cybersecurity sector stands out for its young workforce with a median age of just under 36, compared to 44 across the broader technology industry, according to a new report by Altshare released ahead of Israeli Cyber Week. The study, based on data from the equity management platform which services over 3,000 companies globally, highlights persistent gender disparities within the field.
Women make up roughly a quarter of the cybersecurity workforce, mirroring figures from 2022 where female representation stood at 24.2%. This remains notably lower than the 34.6% average observed across other tech sectors, though higher than aerospace, defense, and homeland security at 16.9%. Among workers aged 30 and under, women account for 25%, rising to nearly 29% for those aged 31 to 40, and dropping to 21.5% for employees over 50.
Founding structures also distinguish the cyber industry from general tech. Approximately 82% of cybersecurity firms were established by two or three co-founders, while only 8.1% started with a single entrepreneur, compared to 19.3% in other tech sectors. Equity distribution reveals distinct patterns as well. At the seed funding stage, cyber founders held a median stake of 57.8%, compared to 51.5% in general tech. By Series C funding, founder holdings dropped to 27.9% versus 23.4% in other sectors.
Furthermore, cyber employees receive a larger share of equity, with Series C allocations reaching 15.1% compared to 13.5% across general tech industries.
"We see an industry where founders maintain a relatively large share of the company while simultaneously allocating more equity to employees. This underscores the critical importance of human capital and the role of equity in the competition for talent.»
