25-Year-Old Founder Sells AI Security Research Firm HexAI for Over $30 Million

Hex-Rays, a developer of reverse engineering tools, has acquired HexAI, formerly Ventris, for over $30 million, just over a year after its founding. The startup, founded by 25-year-old Eilon Gliksberg, operated without external investment and developed a system for operating AI agents in security research.

All six employees of HexAI will continue their work at Hex-Rays following the acquisition. The acquiring company plans to integrate HexAI's system into its operations, invest in its development, and expand its Israeli operations center. They will also incorporate experts from their own teams into the system's development and create new research tools based on HexAI's expertise.

Gliksberg, who began programming and cybersecurity in middle school, served in various roles in Unit 8200 before joining the startup Elementary. He later founded HexAI to address a perceived gap in using AI agents for security research, aiming to make the process measurable and verifiable. Amit Shandel, who served with Gliksberg in 8200, joined as CTO.

HexAI's system allows security researchers to define and run research processes using AI agents, measure their performance, and validate findings. The company states that its clients, including governmental and business entities in Israel and abroad, have reported significant improvements in the quality and quantity of security findings and a notable reduction in AI model usage costs. The system supports large-scale research, efficient token usage, and can operate offline, independent of specific AI models.