Israeli Intelligence Vets Raise $20M to Track Developer Buying Signals
Developers hate bad marketing—but they still need ways to discover useful tools and services. That’s where Onfire, a new Israeli startup founded by intelligence veterans, comes in. The company just announced it raised $20 million to track developer buying signals, using AI to help software vendors find and engage the right prospects at the right time.
Image Credits:Onfire
Turning Developer Conversations into Sales Insights
Onfire monitors public platforms like Hacker News, Reddit, and Stack Overflow to identify what tools and technologies developers are discussing. From these discussions, the AI platform pinpoints which companies the developers work for, who the decision-makers are, and even when their budget cycles occur.
By combining these insights, Onfire helps B2B SaaS sales teams target their outreach with precision—no more cold pitches or spammy campaigns.
From Israeli Intelligence to AI-Driven Marketing
The founders—CEO Tal Peretz, CTO Shahar Shavit, and CPO Nitzan Hada—are alumni of Unit 8200, the elite Israeli intelligence unit often compared to the NSA. Leveraging their data and AI expertise, they’re now applying those skills to help companies close deals in the private tech sector.
Since its beta launch a year ago, Onfire claims it has already driven over $50 million in closed deals for clients. Early adopters include ActiveFence, Aiven, Cyera, Port, and Spectro Cloud, along with other cybersecurity, FinOps, and data solution vendors.
Backed by Major Investors
The $20 million funding round includes a $14 million Series A co-led by Grove Ventures and TLV Partners. Additional investors include IN Venture, the venture arm of Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation, and LeumiTech 77, a special fund created to mark Israel’s 77th anniversary.
This capital infusion will help Onfire expand globally and refine its AI models to deliver even sharper developer buying signals.
Privacy Questions and Industry Reactions
While the platform only analyzes publicly available data, Onfire’s intelligence-style approach naturally raises privacy and ethics questions. The founders insist that the tool complies with all data privacy regulations and focuses on intent signals, not personal information.
Investors see it as a win-win—sales teams get actionable insights while developers receive more relevant outreach. As Grove Ventures’ managing partner Lotan Levkowitz explains, “Our customers are happy, and by the way, even their prospects benefit from smarter, better-timed conversations.”
Why It Matters for the SaaS Market
In a saturated software market, timing and context make all the difference. By tracking developer buying signals, Onfire is positioning itself at the intersection of AI, intent data, and B2B sales enablement—a space that’s rapidly growing in value.
As AI transforms go-to-market strategies, Onfire’s $20 million funding marks a significant step toward making developer intent the new gold standard for tech sales teams.
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