The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021, the Yahoo breaches in 2014, and the ongoing cyberattacks organized by Russia to disrupt Ukrainian military operations—these are some of the high-profile attacks that have established cyber warfare as a formidable threat. Now a whole generation of venture capitalists is paying attention to this fast-growing sector. "Even the stuff that we think has been solved has to be solved again, which is why cyber risk is job security for VCs," explained Bessemer Venture Partners investor David Cowan.
Indeed, while layoffs and recession fears are rippling through Fortune 500 companies, cybersecurity stands out as one place where companies are reluctant to cut back. To find out which VCs are making their mark with the most promising young companies, we talked to cyber experts, entrepreneurs, and VCs themselves. The investors featured on this list have spotted some of the biggest startups before there was a product and, in some cases, before there was even an idea. Some dealmakers have been in the industry for decades; others are rising stars.
