Pentera

Pentera is an American cybersecurity software company, specializing in automated security validation solutions. Originally founded as Pcysys in 2015, the company later rebranded as Pentera in 2021. Pentera has entities in the US, Germany, UK, Israel, Dubai, and Singapore.^[2][3][4][5]

Pentera develops automated security validation software designed to test cybersecurity defenses against real-world attack techniques. The platform enables organizations to identify exploitable vulnerabilities, validate security controls, and prioritize remediation to reduce cyber risk.^[6][7][8]

Pentera software automates testing across internal and external attack surfaces in on-premises and cloud environments, emulating techniques such as remote code execution, password cracking, and data exfiltration; it operates without endpoint agents, allowing use across typical enterprise systems and with security service providers.^[9]

In September 2025, Pentera introduced AI-driven capabilities to its platform to automate the identification of complex attack paths and prioritize security exposures based on real-world risk.^[10]

The Pentera platform includes the following products:

• Pentera Core — Maps, tests, and validates the security controls of the organization’s internal network.^[11][12]
• Pentera Surface — Maps, tests and validates the security controls of the organization’s external-facing assets exposed to the internet.^[13]
• Pentera Cloud — Maps, tests, and validates the security controls across cloud-native infrastructures, emulating real-world attack techniques such as privilege escalation, credential exposure, and lateral movement to assess an organization’s cloud security posture.^[14]
• Pentera RansomwareReady — Validates the organization’s resilience against the latest known ransomware attacks by testing exploitation paths and security controls.^[15][16]
• Pentera Credentials Exposure — leverages data of real-world leaked credentials sources to identify compromised credentials from the dark web, encrypted storage, and internal sources to analyze potential attack pathways across the organization's internal and external attack surfaces.^[17][18]

Pentera Labs is the company’s research division that monitors cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and attack techniques, publishes threat-intelligence findings, and feeds relevant insights into the Pentera platform; its reports are used by defenders to analyze and emulate emerging tactics.^[3] The team has disclosed zero-day vulnerabilities and contributed adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures to the MITRE ATT&CK framework.^[19][4]

Examples include research on a Fortinet authentication-bypass flaw (CVE-2024-47574), an Azure Functions XSS issue, the “135 Is the New 445” lateral-movement technique, and VMware vCenter zero-days, which were reported to vendors and subsequently addressed.^{[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]}

In January 2026, a report by Pentera Labs revealed that intentionally vulnerable training and demonstration applications—such as OWASP Juice Shop and DVWA—were being actively exploited as entry points for cloud compromises within Fortune 500 companies and major security vendors.^[27] The research found nearly 2,000 exposed instances, with 20% showing evidence of unauthorized activity, including the deployment of crypto-miners and persistence mechanisms.^[28]

Pentera relies on venture capital. To date, the company has raised $190 million in primary funding:

• Seed funding (2015-2018): Raised $5 million.^[29][30]
• Series A (November 2019): Raised $10 million from AWZ Ventures and Blackstone Group.^[29]
• Series B (September 2020): Raised $25 million^[31] from Insight Partners, AWZ Ventures, and Blackstone Group.^[30][32][33]
• Series C (January 2022): Pentera became a unicorn raising $150 million, out of which $75 million in primary, from K1 Investment Management, Evolution Equity Partners, and Insight Partners. This funding round brought Pentera's valuation to $1 billion.^[34][35]
• Series D (March 2025): Raised $60 million, led by Evolution Equity Partners, with participation from Farallon Capital Management.^[36][37]

On October 9, 2025, Pentera acquired DevOcean, an AI-remediation management platform.^[38]

On November 5, 2025, Pentera acquired EVA Information Security, an offensive security firm specializing in AI red teaming and pentesting.^[39]

In January 2026, Pentera announced it had surpassed $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).^[40][41]

In February 2026, Peter Rodriguez, Pentera's Assistant Vice President of Channel Management, was named to the CRN Channel Chiefs list for his role in developing the company's partner-led growth strategy.^[42][43]