
She Fled Iran And Became An Israeli Cyber Spy. Now She’s Raised $30 Million For A Security Startup.
Sanaz Yashar’s journey began in Tehran, where she and her family fled to Israel during her teenage years. While studying biology at Tel Aviv University, she was recruited into Unit 8200, Israel’s elite cyber intelligence division, serving for 15 years and attaining the rank of major. Her unique background, including fluency in Farsi and understanding of Iranian culture, proved invaluable in intelligence operations . After transitioning to the private sector, Yashar co-founded Zafran in 2022, inspired by a ransomware attack she investigated at Mandiant. Zafran focuses on helping organizations mitigate cyber risks using their existing technologies.