What Ballistic Ventures does

Ballistic Ventures is a San Mateo, California-based venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests exclusively in early- and growth-stage cybersecurity companies. It is structured as Ballistic Ventures Alpha LLC and operates with a small core team (1-10 employees) anchored by five General Partners — Kevin Mandia, Ted Schlein, Barmak Meftah, Jake Seid, and Roger Thornton — who collectively bring 129 years of cybersecurity operating experience and have previously founded, funded, or operated more than 90 companies including Mandiant (acquired by Google for $5.4 billion), AlienVault, and Fortify Software. The firm manages more than $3 billion in cyber-focused dry powder and writes checks from pre-seed through Series B, with notable 2025-2026 investments in AI security (WitnessAI, Noma, Armadin), cloud and data security (Gomboc AI, Concentric AI), identity and runtime security (AuthMind, Oligo, Aembit), incident response (BreachRx), and adjacent defense technology (Reveal Technology, UFORCE).

Its core offering is operator-led venture capital: in addition to equity capital, portfolio companies receive direct partner involvement in product, GTM, talent, and M&A decisions, supported by a CISO Operating Partner (David Hahn), CISO-in-Residence (Julie Tsai), and Venture Partners Phil Venables and Nicole Perlroth. Revenue is generated through traditional VC economics — management fees on committed/invested capital across multiple funds and carried interest upon portfolio exits — and is not publicly disclosed. Deal sourcing is concentrated in the partners' operator networks and major industry venues such as RSA Conference, with secondary pipelines into the UK, Israel, and Ukraine. The firm also runs the Ballistic X Pursuit Cyber Fellows program in partnership with Pursuit.org, addressing the cybersecurity talent gap as an ecosystem-level differentiator.

Name

Ballistic Ventures

Legal name

Ballistic Ventures Alpha LLC

Website

https://www.ballisticventures.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ballistic Ventures is a San Mateo-based venture capital firm founded in 2021 that invests exclusively in early- and growth-stage cybersecurity startups, deploying $3B+ in dry powder through an operator-led model anchored by five General Partners with deep cybersecurity pedigrees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cybersecurity Venture Capital

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities (523)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital funding
• Cybersecurity investments
• Early-stage capital
• Startup incubation
• Growth equity

Headquarters

HQ city

San Mateo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ballistic Ventures is a venture capital firm that invests equity capital from dedicated cybersecurity funds into early- and growth-stage cybersecurity startups, while providing operator-led strategic guidance, mentorship, talent access, and go-to-market support. Its offerings center on seed-to-growth equity financing, company incubation, and portfolio-level operational expertise for founders building solutions in AI security, cloud security, identity security, application security, defense technology, and adjacent cyber domains.

Product overview

Ballistic Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated to funding and incubating cybersecurity innovations. The firm does not offer products or services in the traditional SaaS/product sense. Its offerings consist of venture capital investment, mentorship, and operational support for cybersecurity entrepreneurs. The company manages a portfolio of cybersecurity startups across various stages and segments including AI security, cloud security, identity security, application security, and defense technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ballistic X Pursuit Cyber Fellows: A fellowship program in partnership with Pursuit.org that trains adults from non-traditional backgrounds for cybersecurity careers, addressing the industry's talent gap.

Products and services

• Cybersecurity Venture Capital Funds (Seed-to-Growth) Multi-stage equity investment funds dedicated to cybersecurity startups, providing seed-to-growth capital to founders building solutions in AI security, cloud security, identity security, application security, defense technology, and adjacent cyber domains. Customers are cybersecurity entrepreneurs, founders, and growth-stage companies seeking institutional capital.
• Operator-Led Portfolio Advisory and Incubation Strategic, operational, and go-to-market advisory provided by Ballistic's General Partners and operating partners to portfolio cybersecurity companies, including product guidance, sales strategy, customer introductions, talent access, and M&A support. Customers are cybersecurity startup founders and leadership teams.
• Ballistic X Pursuit Cyber Fellows Program A fellowship program operated in partnership with Pursuit.org that trains adults from non-traditional backgrounds for cybersecurity careers, addressing the industry's talent gap and providing portfolio companies with a vetted pipeline of cyber talent.

Quantifiable outcome

• $3B+ in cyber-focused dry powder deployed across portfolio
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ten Eleven Ventures: The original cybersecurity-focused VC investing across seed through growth. Co-led Hypernative with Ballistic, directly competing for similar early-to-growth cyber opportunities and co-investors.
• Forgepoint Capital: One of the largest dedicated cybersecurity VCs, investing across all stages with deep enterprise relationships. Direct competitor for cyber deal flow, including co-investing with Ballistic in Nudge Security.
• YL Ventures: Israel/US-based early-stage VC exclusively focused on cybersecurity. YL Ventures invests in seed and Series A rounds with a similar operator-led thesis, making it the closest direct competitor for cyber-specific deal flow.
• SYN Ventures: Cybersecurity-focused VC investing from seed to growth with an operator-heavy team. Direct peer for early-stage cyber investments with overlapping portfolio categories and co-investor networks.
• Cyberstarts: Israel/US cybersecurity-focused seed fund known for the "Founder's Loop" talent network. Direct peer at the seed stage with comparable cyber-only mandate and strong founder community.
• Team8: Israel-based cybersecurity builder-investor that identifies, builds, and invests in cyber companies. Direct competitor with overlapping approach to operator-led cyber investing and similar stage focus.
• NightDragon: Cybersecurity, safety, security, and privacy-focused investment firm spanning venture, growth, and advisory. Direct peer for cyber-specific deals with comparable enterprise go-to-market focus.

Broad incumbents

• Kleiner Perkins: Ted Schlein's former firm and a top-tier generalist venture firm with significant cybersecurity exposure. Broader incumbent that historically led the cyber category and competes for the same founders and follow-on capital.
• Lightspeed Venture Partners: Jake Seid's former firm and major generalist VC with significant cyber exposure (co-invested in Oligo with Ballistic). Broad incumbent that competes for cyber deals across stages.

Regional players

• Merlin Ventures: Cyber-focused VC with strong ties to Israeli cybersecurity ecosystem. Co-invested with Ballistic in Above Security and Native, making it a regional peer for cyber deal flow outside the US.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballistic-ventures

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments82 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ballistic Ventures