Israeli automotive cybersecurity startup GuardKnox Cyber Technologies Ltd. today said it has raised $21 million in new funding to expand its research and development team and to expand global operations.

The Series A round was led by Fraser McCombs Capital and included Faurecia, SAIC Capital (Shanghai Automotive), Glory Ventures, NextLeap Ventures, VectoIQ, Plug and Play, Allied, Cyphertech and Kardan LTD.

Founded in 2016, GuardKnox designs and manufactures a comprehensive cybersecurity platform for automotive applications in vehicles. The company offers solutions that combine software and hardware to deliver optimized, secure, high-performance computing platforms and added services to the automotive industry.

The company claims that its solutions prevent cybersecurity attacks in real time with zero false positives, minimal maintenance efforts and no constant connectivity requirements. Interestingly, the solutions being developed by the company are based on aviation defense methodology, with both the company’s founders and much of its team being veterans of the Israeli Air Force Cybersecurity division.

The new investors include a range of automotive makers and parts suppliers. Faurecia is the world’s sixth-rated tier-1 manufacturer and supplier of auto parts. GuardKnox also has a partnership with Palo Alto Networks Inc. to provide automotive cybersecurity solutions for connected and autonomous vehicles.

“The car is undergoing a process similar to what happened to the telephone in the past few decades. We have reached a point at which the important question will not be how the car will take me from place to place, but how it can serve me,” GuardKnox co-founder and Chief Executive Moshe Shlisel told Globes. “The car will be connected from everywhere in order to provide the best user experience. As such, it will be exposed to hazards and break-ins by hackers. The car will therefore require both cyber protection and protection for computers, with a very high level of performance that will enable it to operate well and safely. We provide both of these capabilities, as well as services based on them, such as downloading apps and installing them safely in the car.”

Including the new funding, GuardKnox has raised $24 million to date.

Image: GuardKnox