Oak Tops LinkedIn List of Top 15 Israeli Startups for 2026

Cybersecurity startup Oak has secured the number one spot on LinkedIn’s annual ranking of the 15 most sought-after startups in Israel for 2026. The prestigious list, followed closely by doubleAI and Wonderful, evaluates companies based on four core metrics: employment growth, job seeker engagement, job interest, and the ability to attract top-tier talent. To qualify, companies must be entirely independent, privately held, aged seven years or younger, and either founded in Israel or headquartered in the country.

LinkedIn’s report highlights the profound impact of artificial intelligence on modern entrepreneurship. According to their global survey, four out of ten professionals state that AI tools have increased the likelihood of them starting a business. Generative AI allows entrepreneurs to develop products, automate workflows, and operate efficiently with lean teams. However, this lowering of entry barriers has flooded the market, requiring companies to work harder to capture the attention of customers, investors, and elite professionals.

Leaders of the 2026 Ranking

At the top of the list is Oak, founded in 2025. Led by veteran entrepreneur Shay Morig, who previously founded and successfully exited two cybersecurity firms—Secdo (sold to Palo Alto Networks) and Ermetic (sold to Tenable)—Oak employs 60 people. The company maintains headquarters in Tel Aviv and San Francisco, providing a platform that helps organizations manage identities and access permissions for employees, machines, and AI agents.

Taking second place is doubleAI, founded in 2023 and led by Prof. Amnon Shashua, the renowned founder of Mobileye. Employing 40 people with headquarters in Tel Aviv, the company develops Advanced Expert Intelligence (AEI) systems designed to replicate rare human expertise and solve complex scientific and technical challenges.

"Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how organizations operate, requiring new paradigms in cybersecurity, data infrastructure, and automated decision-making across global markets."

Rapid Growth in AI and Cybersecurity

In third place is Wonderful, founded in 2025 and managed by Bar Winkler. The company employs 265 people with headquarters in Tel Aviv and Amsterdam. Wonderful provides an AI-powered operating system that helps large enterprises deploy autonomous AI agents for customer service and core operations, with a strong emphasis on non-English markets. Last September, Wonderful secured $550 million in funding at a $5 billion valuation.

Securing fourth place is Kela Technologies, founded in 2024 and led by Alon Dror. With 130 employees based in Tel Aviv, the company offers an open software architecture that enables defense organizations to seamlessly integrate commercial technologies, including AI models and advanced sensors, into legacy military defense systems.

Rounding out the top tier are prominent firms such as Cyera, which recently raised $1 billion at a valuation exceeding $12 billion, and cyber defense firm Dream, founded by NSO Group founder Shalev Hulio, providing AI-driven threat anticipation for critical infrastructure and government entities.