Cyberstarts
Cyberstarts is a venture capital firm based in Tel Aviv, Israel, that focuses exclusively on early-stage cybersecurity startups. Founded in 2018 by Gili Raanan, the firm has raised over $720 million across five funds and made 28 investments to date. Under Raanan's leadership, Cyberstarts has become known as one of the top cybersecurity-focused investors globally, backing companies that have achieved a combined valuation of $55 billion. 2
Cyberstarts was ranked #3 on the Forbes 2025 Midas Seed List, recognizing Gili Raanan as one of the top seed-stage investors in venture capital. The firm specializes in backing cybersecurity founders at the earliest stages - often providing the first institutional capital. 2
Investment Focus
Cyberstarts focuses exclusively on cybersecurity companies, providing pre-seed and seed funding to founders building the next generation of security technologies. The firm looks for entrepreneurs who have faced big challenges and built solutions from personal experience. Their approach involves leveraging an extensive CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) network to help portfolio companies achieve rapid product-market fit. 1
The firm typically invests at the "day one" stage - being the first institutional investor in a company. This has resulted in Cyberstarts holding significant ownership in some of the most successful cybersecurity exits of recent years. 1
Notable Investments
Cyberstarts has produced exceptional returns through its early investments in:
- Wiz: Founded in 2019 by Assaf Rappaport and team, Wiz was acquired by Google for $32 billion in 2024 - one of the largest cybersecurity acquisitions ever. Cyberstarts was the day one investor. 1
- Cyera: A data security platform valued at $9 billion as of 2024.
- Island: An enterprise browser security company valued at $5 billion.
- Fireblocks: A cryptocurrency security platform valued at $8 billion.
- Transmit: An identity security company.
- Upwind: A cloud security platform.
The firm's portfolio represents over 50% of the worldwide private cybersecurity companies market capitalization, with 6 unicorns and 1 decacorn (company valued at over $10 billion). 1
Recognition
Gili Raanan, the founder, has been recognized as a top cybersecurity investor. Cyberstarts was ranked #3 on the Forbes 2025 Midas Seed List. The firm has generated 9 exits and manages $1.5 billion in assets under management across its funds. 23
The firm also runs Cybersparx, an annual conference in Miami bringing together cybersecurity visionaries, with over 200 attendees launched in 2025. 1
How to Connect
Application Process: Cyberstarts accepts incoming applications through their website. However, the best way to get noticed is through their portfolio founders or the broader Israeli cybersecurity community. They invest at the "day one" stage - even before product market fit. 1
What They Look For:
- Cybersecurity founders who have faced real security challenges personally
- Technical depth - most founders are engineers or former security engineers
- Israel-based teams (though they occasionally back Israeli founders anywhere)
- Early idea stage - they want to meet founders before anyone else
Who to Reach Out To:
- Gili Raanan (@giliraanan on Twitter) - Founder & Managing Partner
- The team page has all partners: Lior Simon, Pete Chronis, Hila Zigman
Events They Attend:
- Cybersparx (their annual conference in Miami) - great networking opportunity
- Israeli cybersecurity conferences
- RSA Conference - catch them there
Pro Tip: Join a Cyberstarts portfolio company first. Many are scaling rapidly and hiring. This gets you in their radar for your own startup later. 1