Identity and access management has become a foundational component of enterprise cybersecurity, but the systems organizations buy to manage identity often create a second problem: making those systems work across the full complexity of the enterprise.

Way Security, founded by former security leaders Yossi Barishev and Yonatan Rosenberg, is targeting that challenge with an AI-powered approach designed to automate the operational work behind IAM. As reported by Axios, Insight Partners and Glilot Capital are co-leading a $20 million investment in the company as it seeks to build what it sees as a software-enabled alternative to costly IAM implementation and consulting services.

The company’s pitch is straightforward. Enterprises have already invested heavily in identity platforms, but deploying and operating those systems can require extensive manual work, specialized expertise and professional services. Way Security wants to automate that layer without forcing organizations to replace the IAM infrastructure they already own.

The Gap Between IAM Software And Results

Enterprise IAM programs can take years to complete and reach seven- or eight-digit costs while still delivering less than originally promised. According to Way Security, implementation, customization and ongoing operational services can cost three to five times more than the software itself.

That creates an unusual dynamic in the cybersecurity industry: the services required to make IAM technology work can become more expensive than the technology being implemented.

Way Security believes that gap represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity. The company is focused on the execution problem surrounding IAM, arguing that organizations do not necessarily need another identity platform as much as they need a more efficient way to deploy and operate the systems they already have.

“The issue isn’t that enterprises lack the right tools,” said Barishev. “It’s that those tools are incredibly expensive and complex to operationalize. We built Way Security to remove that friction.”

An Agentic Layer For Identity

Way Security’s platform uses AI-driven automation and agentic workflows to handle operational tasks traditionally performed by consultants, system integrators and internal engineering teams.

The company says its approach allows organizations to apply identity controls across different types of identities and systems without custom integrations, manual workflows or ongoing dependence on application owners. Its platform is designed to automate work associated with lifecycle management, access governance, authentication and policy enforcement.

Rather than requiring enterprises to replace or replatform their existing identity systems, Way Security is positioning its technology as an operational layer that helps organizations extract more value from those investments.

“Most IAM teams aren’t looking to replace the platforms they’ve already invested in,” said Rosenberg, co-founder and CTO. “They’re looking to finally get the return on investment they were promised. We built Way Security to automate the work that has traditionally stood between buying an IAM platform and actually realizing its value.”

The company’s platform is also designed to extend identity controls to applications that can be difficult to incorporate into conventional IAM programs, including legacy, homegrown and custom applications that do not support standard federation protocols.

Founders Who Saw The Problem Up Close

The company was founded by Barishev and Rosenberg after years of working with enterprises on identity, governance and security challenges. The pair advised Fortune 500 organizations through complex identity initiatives and led enterprise security organizations, giving them firsthand experience with the operational challenges that can cause IAM projects to stall.

They also spent years leading incident response efforts for organizations affected by major cyber incidents, repeatedly seeing weak identity controls emerge as a root cause or critical enabler of successful attacks.

Rosenberg additionally served as an officer in Israel’s Unit 8200, bringing an offensive security perspective to the company’s approach.

“IAM is the only space in cyber where overspending and under-delivering is an acceptable reality,” said Barishev, co-founder and CEO of Way Security. “The more time we spent doing IAM, the more we realized how the industry normalized mediocrity and has almost given up trying to solve some of its biggest challenges.”

Investors Back A Different IAM Model

Insight Partners and Glilot Capital are betting that the operational challenges surrounding identity represent an opportunity larger than the conventional IAM software market.

“Identity is one of the most critical layers of enterprise security, yet organizations still struggle to operationalize their investments efficiently,” said Jeff Horing, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Insight Partners. “Way Security is addressing a large and persistent gap between IAM software and real-world execution.”

Nofar Amikam, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital, said the company stood out because of the combination of its founding team, market opportunity and approach.

“As investors, we’re constantly looking for the rare combination of an exceptional team, a massive market opportunity, and a differentiated approach,” said Nofar Amikam, Managing Partner at Glilot Capital. “With Yossi and Yonatan, all three were evident from our very first meeting. They possess a deep understanding of the identity challenges facing large enterprises because they’ve lived them firsthand, and they’ve built a fundamentally better way to solve them. Identity has become the foundation of modern security, and we believe this team has the vision, talent, and determination to build the company that will define how the next generation of enterprises manages and secures it.”

Way Security says it is already working with Fortune 500 companies, global healthcare organizations and financial institutions. With the new funding, the company plans to expand its U.S. presence and continue developing its identity operations platform.

“We’re at a pivotal moment in the market,” said Rosenberg. “Identity has become the foundation of enterprise security, yet organizations still struggle to operationalize it effectively. Our priority now is to move quickly, expand our platform, grow our presence in the U.S., and establish Way Security as the category leader in identity operations before the market catches up.“

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