8Layers Secures €1 Million Extension to Propel Cybersecurity Innovations
Madrid-based cybersecurity company 8Layers has recently announced a significant milestone in its funding journey, closing a €1 million extension of its pre-Seed round. This latest funding brings the total amount raised by the company to €2.5 million, a notable achievement as it seeks to bolster its go-to-market (GTM) strategy and accelerate commercialisation efforts across the European market.
Strategic Partnerships in the Financial Sector
The recent funding round marks the entry of two strategic investors from Spain’s corporate venture capital landscape: Criteria Venture Tech, the venture capital arm of CriteriaCaixa—one of Spain’s largest financial holding companies—and Bankinter. Their involvement is not merely financial; it signifies a strong endorsement of 8Layers’ mission to enhance digital identity security, a growing concern in today’s increasingly digital world.
Daniel García Morán, CEO and co-founder of 8Layers, expressed his enthusiasm about the new partnerships, stating, “We have just launched the platform commercially, and we are very proud to welcome two strategic partners who know first-hand the problem we solve. Their entry is not just an investment: it is confirmation, from within the financial sector itself, that digital identity security is now a top-level priority.”
A Growing Demand for Cybersecurity Solutions
The extension of 8Layers’ pre-Seed round comes at a time when funding activity in the European cybersecurity sector is on the rise. Reports from EU-Startups highlight comparable funding rounds, including Madrid-based Sybol, which raised over €1 million for corporate digital identity infrastructure, and Spain-based Zepo Intelligence, which secured €12.8 million for AI-driven social engineering defense.
In total, disclosed funding across relevant 2026 examples amounts to approximately €112.3 million, or €113.3 million when including 8Layers’ extension. This places 8Layers alongside other notable Spanish cybersecurity and identity-adjacent financings, reinforcing the growing importance of digital identity security in the region.
The 8Layers Platform: A Comprehensive Solution
Founded in 2024, 8Layers specializes in safeguarding digital identities, which are increasingly recognized as one of the most vulnerable assets within organizations. The company’s platform, which became commercially available in May 2026, integrates several critical functionalities into a single solution. This includes Identity Security Posture Management (ISPM), Identity Threat Detection and Response (ITDR), and automated compliance with European regulations such as ENS, NIS2, and ISO 27001.
The founding team—comprising Daniel García Morán, Pedro Palao, Pablo Carretero, and Iago Salgado—brings over 20 years of experience in scalable systems development and cybersecurity. Notably, three of the founders were part of the team that established Devo, a Spanish DeepTech unicorn, showcasing their deep expertise in the field.
Validation from the Financial Sector
The investment from Criteria Venture Tech and Bankinter serves as a validation of 8Layers’ strategic thesis. As banks face a daily increase in credential-based attacks and heightened regulatory scrutiny, the recognition of digital identity security as a top-level priority is crucial. Spain’s National Security Framework (ENS) and the EU’s NIS2 directive further underscore the urgency for robust cybersecurity measures.
In a landscape where digital threats are evolving rapidly, the proactive steps taken by 8Layers and its strategic partners highlight a collective commitment to enhancing security measures and protecting sensitive information across Europe.
