Dream Founders Shalev Hulio and Sebastian Kurz on How Dream Became the World’s Fastest-Growing Cyber Startup Within 18 Months, Building the First AI Native Cybersecurity Company, and Whether it’s Possible to Ethically Use Offensive Cyber

On this episode of Invested, Michael hosts two of the co-founders of Dream, Shalev Hulio and Sebastian Kurz. 

Sebastian Kurz is a former Austrian politician who served as Chancellor of Austria from 2017 to 2019, and again from 2020 to 2021. A member of the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), he began his political career in the party's youth wing, rising to prominence as State Secretary for Integration (2011–2013) and Foreign Minister (2013–2017). Kurz led the ÖVP to victory in the 2017 election, becoming one of the world's youngest heads of government at age 31. Since leaving politics, Kurz has worked as a global strategist and entrepreneur.

Shalev Hulio is a serial entrepreneur and cybersecurity expert. He co-founded NSO Group in 2010, serving as CEO until August 2022, where he oversaw the development of Pegasus, a controversial spyware used by governments to track criminal and terrorist activity. Prior to NSO, Hulio co-founded several tech ventures, including CommuniTake and Kaymera Technologies. 

Together with Gil Dolev, Sebastian and Shalev founded Dream Security in January 2023, which specializes in AI-powered cyber defense.

Please rate this episode 5 stars wherever you stream your podcasts! 

KEY TOPICS 

• [00:00:00] The Unexpected Birth Story of Dream

• [00:05:50] From Politics to Tech Entrepreneurship

• [00:11:48] Cybersecurity: From Offense to Defense

• [00:14:35] Why AI Matters in Cybersecurity

• [00:17:32] Cyber Attacks and National Security

• [00:20:55] NSO & Building Trust in High-Stakes Environments

• [00:23:54] The Future of Cybersecurity and Ethics

• [00:26:53] Investing in Times of Crisis

• [00:29:34] Cybersecurity and Geopolitical Tensions

• [00:32:59] Dream’s Vision and Market Strategy

• [00:35:42] Cybersecurity: Challenges and Opportunities

• [00:44:48] The Importance of Leadership

• [00:56:29] The Birth of Dream

• [01:02:01] Cybersecurity as a National Threat

• [01:06:23] The Changing Landscape of Defense Spending

• [01:10:32] The Growth of Dream

• [01:12:01] Navigating Ethical Boundaries in Cybersecurity

RESOURCES

Follow Sebastian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-kurz/ 

Follow Shalev on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shalevholy/ 

Follow Sebastian on X  - https://x.com/sebastiankurz 

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CREDITS

Executive Producer: Erica Marom 

Producer: Yoni Mayer, Myron Shneider

Video and Editing: Ron Baranov

Music and Creative Direction: Uri Ar 

Content and Editorial: Kira Goldring

Design: Rony Karadi