What are the top DevSecOps tools?

This blog post has been written by the person who has mapped the DevSecOps market in a clean and beautiful presentation

The DevSecOps landscape is experiencing explosive growth driven by AI integration and runtime security innovations. Major funding rounds are reshaping the competitive dynamics as established security giants acquire specialized startups to build comprehensive platforms.

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What are the leading DevSecOps tools in 2025 and which companies are behind them?

AI-powered and runtime security tools dominate the 2025 DevSecOps landscape, with developer-first platforms leading adoption across enterprises.

Who are the major investors funding DevSecOps startups and how much capital have they invested recently?

Specialized cybersecurity VCs and strategic angels lead DevSecOps funding, with early-stage rounds capturing 85% of disclosed capital in 2024-2025.

Decibel Partners emerged as the most active investor, co-leading Pixee's $15 million seed round in May 2025 alongside Wing VC. Shield Capital deployed at least $9 million into Pillar Security's seed round in April 2025, focusing on AI-native security for AI-embedded systems. Paladin Capital Group invested $6 million in Circumvent's funding round in June 2025, targeting proactive cloud security solutions.

Atlantica Ventures and P1 Ventures co-led Salus Cloud's $3.7 million seed round in June 2025, marking significant investment in African DevSecOps innovation. Strategic angels have participated across multiple rounds, particularly in AI-driven security automation companies like Pixee and Opsera's $20 million Series B.

The funding landscape shows clear preference for AI-centric security automation, with investors prioritizing startups that offer autonomous vulnerability detection and remediation capabilities. Early-stage dominance reflects the nascent nature of AI-powered DevSecOps tools, as VCs bet on technologies that will define the next generation of secure software development.

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Which DevSecOps startups raised the largest rounds in 2024 and 2025 so far and under what conditions?

Opsera secured the largest funding round with $20 million Series B in April 2025, focusing on AI-powered DevOps platforms with embedded security capabilities.

Pixee raised $15 million in seed funding during May 2025, co-led by Decibel Partners and Wing VC, specifically targeting AI-driven code remediation within CI/CD pipelines. The company's autonomous PR generation technology for vulnerability fixes attracted significant investor interest due to its potential to eliminate manual security bottlenecks.

Boost Security completed a $12 million seed round in 2024, emphasizing unified DevSecOps automation across multiple security domains. Pillar Security secured $9 million seed funding in April 2025 from Shield Capital, positioning itself as an AI-native security provider for organizations deploying AI-embedded systems.

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Circumvent raised $6 million in undisclosed funding during June 2025, targeting proactive cloud security with guided remediation features. European startup Cycloid secured €5 million (approximately $5.4 million) Series A in February 2025, combining sustainable platform engineering with integrated security practices. These funding conditions reflect investor appetite for startups that integrate AI automation with developer-friendly user experiences.

Are any tech giants or established players in cybersecurity or DevOps actively backing or acquiring DevSecOps companies?

Major security vendors and DevOps platforms have accelerated M&A activity to build comprehensive DevSecOps suites, with six significant acquisitions completed in 2025.

Snyk acquired Invariant Labs in June 2025, specifically targeting AI research capabilities for agentic-AI vulnerability detection and autonomous security remediation. Harness merged with Traceable AI in March 2025, combining CI/CD orchestration with API security monitoring under a unified platform approach.

SonarSource completed its acquisition of Tidelift in late 2025, integrating open-source component intelligence with code quality analysis to strengthen supply-chain security. GitLab continued its acquisition strategy by purchasing Peach Tech and Fuzzit, enhancing container scanning capabilities and fuzz testing automation within its DevSecOps platform.

LevelBlue acquired Trustwave in July 2025, expanding managed security service provider capabilities with enhanced detection and response features. Cellebrite purchased Corellium in June 2025, adding virtual mobile device testing specifically for mobile DevSecOps workflows.

This consolidation trend accelerates delivery of end-to-end DevSecOps suites, as established players recognize the need for integrated security automation rather than point solutions. Strategic acquisitions focus on AI-powered capabilities, runtime protection, and developer experience improvements.

Which DevSecOps companies or startups have received notable awards or industry recognition in 2024 and 2025?

Industry recognition in 2024 emphasized integrated DevSecOps platforms and successful enterprise implementations, with Checkmarx One leading award recognition.

Checkmarx One won the DevOps Dozen Award for Best DevSecOps Solution in 2024, recognized for its unified AppSec platform that integrates SAST, SCA, and IaC security within development workflows. ClearBank received the DevOps Excellence Award for Best DevSecOps Implementation in 2024, demonstrating enterprise-scale security automation success.

HMRC's Data Platform Services Core Engineering Platform earned the Security Excellence Award for DevSecOps in 2024, showcasing government-sector adoption of integrated security practices. CRN recognized StepSecurity, BettrData, and Baseten among the Hottest DevOps Startups of 2024, highlighting innovation in CI/CD security, data platform protection, and machine learning operations security.

These awards reflect industry emphasis on shift-left security practices, automation capabilities, and integrated security platforms that reduce developer friction while improving security posture. Recognition patterns show preference for solutions that demonstrate measurable security outcomes within existing development workflows.

What recent breakthroughs or innovations in DevSecOps technology or research and development have emerged in 2025?

Agentic AI security and eBPF-based runtime enforcement represent the most significant technological breakthroughs in DevSecOps during 2025.

Agentic AI Security and MCP Protections emerged as critical innovations, with new tools specifically designed to secure AI agents and Model Context Protocol servers. These solutions address the unique security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems that can execute code, access APIs, and modify infrastructure based on natural language instructions.

AccuKnox pioneered eBPF-based runtime enforcement for DevSecOps, implementing microsegmentation and syscall monitoring directly in production environments. This approach enables Zero Trust security policies at the kernel level, providing granular visibility and control over application behavior without performance degradation.

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ActiveState introduced vulnerability-free base container images through community-driven initiatives, providing container images with zero known CVEs at build time. Pixee developed autonomous PR generation for code fixes, enabling AI-driven vulnerability remediation that automatically creates pull requests with security patches integrated into existing CI/CD workflows.

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Which R&D trends or breakthroughs are expected in DevSecOps for 2026?

AI-native security automation and policy-as-code governance will dominate 2026 DevSecOps innovation, with autonomous vulnerability prevention becoming standard practice.

• Deeper AI-Native Security Integration: Autonomous vulnerability prevention across the entire SDLC, with AI systems proactively identifying and fixing security issues before code commits reach production environments.
• Expanded Policy-as-Code Governance: Extension of policy-as-code frameworks into runtime environments and multi-cloud governance, enabling consistent security policies across development, staging, and production infrastructure.
• Software Bill of Materials (SBOM) Standardization: Widespread adoption of SBOM and supply-chain attestation standards including SLSA and CIS frameworks, providing comprehensive visibility into software component provenance and security posture.
• Data Security Posture Management (DSPM) Convergence: Integration of data security posture management capabilities directly into DevSecOps platforms, enabling unified governance of code security and data protection requirements.
• Zero Trust Enforcement Expansion: Advanced Zero Trust implementations in Kubernetes environments, serverless architectures, and edge computing deployments, with granular policy enforcement at the workload level.

How much total investment has flowed into the DevSecOps market in 2024 and 2025 to date?

The global DevSecOps market reached $8.84 billion in 2024, with approximately $38.7 million in disclosed startup funding during the first half of 2025.

Market projections indicate growth to $20-32 billion by 2030, representing a 17.9% year-over-year growth rate driven by enterprise adoption of integrated security automation. North America captured approximately 70% of disclosed venture capital, maintaining its position as the primary innovation and investment hub.

Regional investment distribution shows Israel emerging as a leading security-technology hub, with companies like Pillar Security attracting significant funding. European markets, particularly France (Cycloid), UK, and Germany, have demonstrated consistent investment activity in sustainable DevSecOps solutions.

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Africa and MENA regions represent emerging opportunities, with Salus Cloud's seed funding highlighting growing investor interest in these markets. APAC shows promise through Australia-US startups like Circumvent, indicating global expansion of DevSecOps innovation beyond traditional technology centers.

What is the geographic distribution of leading DevSecOps companies and where are key hubs emerging?

North America dominates DevSecOps innovation with 70% of venture capital, while specialized hubs are emerging in Israel, Europe, and Africa through targeted security technology development.

Silicon Valley maintains its position as the primary DevSecOps hub, hosting major players including Snyk, GitLab, and numerous funded startups like Pixee and Opsera. The region benefits from proximity to major cloud providers, enterprise customers, and experienced security talent pools.

Israel has established itself as a global leader in cybersecurity innovation, with companies like Pillar Security attracting significant international investment. The country's military cybersecurity expertise and startup ecosystem contribute to advanced security technology development, particularly in AI-native security solutions.

European markets show strength in sustainable and enterprise-focused DevSecOps solutions, with France leading through companies like Cycloid. The UK and Germany demonstrate consistent innovation in policy-as-code and compliance-focused security automation, driven by stringent regulatory requirements.

Africa represents the most significant emerging opportunity, with Nigeria-based Salus Cloud securing $3.7 million in seed funding to serve growth markets. This investment signals growing recognition of DevSecOps opportunities in emerging economies with rapidly expanding technology sectors.

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Who are the top DevSecOps companies receiving the most attention from both customers and investors right now?

Snyk leads customer and investor attention through its developer-first approach and strategic AI acquisitions, while GitLab dominates with integrated platform capabilities.

What can be expected in terms of funding, growth or new entrants in the DevSecOps market for 2026?

Continued venture capital interest in AI-security startups will drive funding growth, with a shift toward growth-stage rounds as early-stage companies mature and demonstrate enterprise traction.

Funding patterns will evolve from seed-dominated rounds to Series A and B growth-stage investments, as 2024-2025 startups prove their AI-powered security automation capabilities at enterprise scale. Specialized AI-security and supply-chain tooling firms will emerge as new market entrants, particularly in emerging markets where local regulatory requirements drive innovation.

Platform consolidation will accelerate as enterprises demand integrated DevSecOps suites rather than point solutions, creating acquisition opportunities for established players. Companies demonstrating AI-centric automation, policy-as-code governance, and developer-friendly user experiences will attract the highest valuations and strategic interest.

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New entrants will focus on specialized areas including agentic AI security, quantum-safe cryptography integration, and Zero Trust enforcement for emerging architectures like WebAssembly and edge computing. Open-source community engagement will remain critical for rapid vulnerability coverage and developer adoption.

What are some notable characteristics or differentiators of the most successful DevSecOps startups today?

Successful DevSecOps startups combine AI-centric automation with developer-friendly user experiences, while maintaining strong open-source community engagement for rapid innovation cycles.

AI-Centric Automation represents the primary differentiator, with leading startups like Pixee and Pillar Security focusing on autonomous vulnerability detection and remediation. These companies leverage machine learning to reduce manual security processes, enabling developers to maintain velocity while improving security posture.

Policy-as-Code Governance distinguishes successful platforms by enabling consistent security policies across development, staging, and production environments. Companies implementing this approach provide infrastructure-as-code security scanning and runtime policy enforcement without requiring specialized security expertise from development teams.

Developer-Friendly UX minimizes friction in security adoption, with successful startups prioritizing seamless integration into existing development workflows. Tools that provide actionable security insights within familiar interfaces like IDEs, pull requests, and CI/CD dashboards achieve higher adoption rates and customer satisfaction.

Open-Source Community Engagement accelerates vulnerability coverage and feature development, with companies like Trivy and Semgrep building strong developer communities that contribute to rapid innovation cycles. This approach enables faster response to emerging threats and broader technology coverage than proprietary alternatives.

Conclusion

Sources

1. Jit.io - Top 11 DevOps Security Tools
2. AccuKnox - DevSecOps Tools
3. Bytebase - Top DevSecOps Tool
4. Quick Market Pitch - DevSecOps Funding
5. TS2 Tech - DevOps DevSecOps Developer Tooling Notable News
6. VentureBeat - GitLab Acquires DevSecOps Startups
7. Security Brief - LevelBlue to Acquire Trustwave
8. Checkmarx - DevOps Dozen Awards
9. Computing - DevOps 2024 Winners
10. Computing - Security Excellence Awards 2024
11. CRN - Hottest DevOps Startups 2024
12. Quick Market Pitch - DevSecOps Market Size