CrowdStrike recently announced Terra Security as the winner of the prestigious second annual Amazon Web Services (AWS) and CrowdStrike Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator, held in partnership with NVIDIA’s Inception program, which specifically nurtures innovative startups. The award was bestowed upon Terra Security during a high-profile event at the RSA Conference 2025. The recognition highlights Terra Security’s groundbreaking approach to web application penetration testing, leveraging a swarm of agentic AI pentesters. These AI-driven ethical hackers continuously perform adaptive, context-aware penetration tests, reflecting an advanced integration of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity techniques, all overseen by human experts.
This year’s program drew substantial international interest, receiving applications from hundreds of startups across the United States, Israel, and Europe. From this expansive pool, a select group of 36 early-stage companies advanced into an intense eight-week accelerator program. This equity-free accelerator provided unparalleled access to industry expertise, hands-on mentorship, vital technical guidance, funding insights, and comprehensive support for market entry and expansion. Designed explicitly to cultivate and promote innovations that leverage artificial intelligence and cloud technology to transform cybersecurity, the program offers startups strategic resources to scale their impact globally.
The culmination of the accelerator was a live pitch competition among ten standout finalists, hosted in the dynamic atmosphere of CrowdStrike’s Falcon Lounge at RSA. Terra Security emerged victorious after rigorous evaluation by an esteemed judging panel, including CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, Amazon’s Chief Information Security Officer CJ Moses, and NVIDIA’s Chief Security Officer David Reber Jr. The judges assessed startups on critical factors such as technological innovation, market viability, and readiness for market expansion. Additionally, the judges recognized two runner-ups, Kenzo Security, noted for its innovative agentic AI-driven security platform, and Rig Security, praised for its sophisticated approach to identity threat protection.
Shahar Peled, co-founder and CEO of Terra Security, expressed honor at receiving the award and highlighted the core innovation of their product, emphasizing the role of AI-powered ethical hackers that autonomously perform sophisticated penetration tests with continuous adaptation and intelligent reasoning. Terra’s technology uniquely integrates business context directly into its security processes, significantly elevating the relevance and effectiveness of penetration testing initiatives. Peled emphasized the importance of ongoing collaboration with industry leaders and visionaries to further refine and expand their innovative approach.
CrowdStrike’s Chief Business Officer, Daniel Bernard, applauded Terra Security for its exceptional achievement, underscoring CrowdStrike’s ongoing commitment to fostering pioneering cybersecurity solutions. Bernard reaffirmed CrowdStrike’s dedication, in collaboration with AWS and NVIDIA, to nurturing emerging startups capable of addressing complex cybersecurity challenges. Echoing these sentiments, Amazon’s CJ Moses highlighted the boldness, innovation, and practical impact of this year’s cohort, praising Terra Security specifically for its clarity of vision and technically impressive implementation of agentic AI technologies.
Other notable finalists from this year’s cohort included Daylight Security, Gomboc.ai, Hopper, Pillar Security, SaiFlow, and Valkyrie, each contributing innovative approaches and solutions that address critical cybersecurity challenges and promise significant potential in the evolving threat landscape.
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