"Due to changes created by AI": Israeli cyber unicorn lays off dozens of employees - for the second time in half a year
Pentera notified 60 of its employees - half of them in Israel - that they will be laid off. The reason: "Preparing for the rapid changes occurring in the market against the backdrop of the dramatic growth and adoption of artificial intelligence capabilities." Earlier this year, it was reported that the company laid off 40 employees.
News in brief: Pentera announced the layoff of 60 employees - half of them in Israel. The number of laid-off employees constitutes about 14% of the company's workforce. Earlier this year, it was reported that the company laid off 40 employees. Pentera: completing the transformation to an AI Native platform.
Israeli cyber unicorn Pentera is announcing today (Monday) to about 60 of its employees that they are being laid off - about half of them in Israel. The layoffs come while the company currently employs 430 people, so this is a reduction of about 14% of the workforce. Sources in the company say that the current wave of layoffs comes against the backdrop of the rapid changes occurring in the artificial intelligence sector.
This is the second wave of layoffs the company has undergone since the beginning of the year. In April, it was reported that Pentera laid off about 40 employees, about 8.5% of the 470 employees it employed then - the reduction focused mainly on marketing teams and headquarters roles.
Pentera is an approved government supplier and provides information security verification services to most government ministries. In its last funding round, in March of last year, it raised about 60 million dollars at a valuation of more than one billion dollars, which brought its total capital raised to about 250 million dollars.
Pentera has developed a solution for the automatic execution of penetration tests and verification of cyber defenses, and has been focusing in the last year on developing AI-based solutions. Last week, the company announced a collaboration and technological integration with the cyber giant Recorded Future, and according to sources in the company, it is expected to continue hiring employees with experience in the field of artificial intelligence, even in parallel with the wave of layoffs.
Pentera stated:
"Pentera is preparing for the rapid changes occurring in the market against the backdrop of the dramatic growth in artificial intelligence capabilities and the adoption of AI-based solutions. Accordingly, we are completing the transformation of the company's platform and turning it into an AI Native platform, in order to provide our customers with solutions adapted to AI challenges, while embedding artificial intelligence in all our work processes. In order to meet these goals and continue to grow and move fast, we are unfortunately forced to part ways with employees who have contributed greatly to the company."
