Pradeep Aswani

Overview

Cyberstarts is a prominent venture capital firm founded in 2018 by Gili Raanan, focusing exclusively on early-stage cybersecurity startups. The firm operates a unique 'Sunrise' methodology, partnering closely with founders from the inception of their companies to address critical pain points within the cybersecurity sector. This approach emphasizes guiding startups from product ideation to achieving product-market fit and beyond. Cyberstarts has raised over $720 million across five funds and invested in 28 companies with a combined valuation of $55 billion. Notable investments include Wiz, Fireblocks, Island, Cyera, and Transmit Security. The firm's portfolio represents close to half the global private cybersecurity market capitalization. Cyberstarts is headquartered in Mikhmoret, Israel, and is recognized as a leading partner for top-tier cybersecurity founders worldwide. The firm is also known for its entrepreneur-backed funding structure, with investors comprising some of the most successful figures in the cybersecurity industry, including Shlomo Kramer of Cato Networks, Imperva, and Check Point, Marius Nacht of Check Point, Nir Zuk from Palo Alto Networks, Udi Mokady from CyberArk, Nir Polak of Exabeam, and Michael Shaulov of Fireblocks. In addition to its investment activities, Cyberstarts has been involved in discussions regarding its 'Sunrise' program, which compensates Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) for their participation in the program. This model has faced scrutiny and led to ethical considerations within the cybersecurity community. Despite these challenges, Cyberstarts continues to be a significant player in the cybersecurity venture capital landscape, supporting the growth and development of innovative cybersecurity solutions globally. Cyberstarts' founder, Gili Raanan, has a distinguished background in cybersecurity, having served in Israel's elite Unit 8200 for a decade and receiving the Israel Defense Presidential Prize and the Innovation Award. He is credited with inventing CAPTCHA and co-developing the first web application firewall (WAF), holding more than 10 U.S. patents in the fields of cybersecurity and enterprise software. Before launching Cyberstarts, Gili built and sold two software companies to EMC and IBM and later joined Sequoia Capital as a General Partner, leading the firm's investments in cybersecurity and infrastructure in Israel for nearly nine years. Today, Cyberstarts has raised over $720 million across five funds and invested in 28 companies with a combined valuation of $55 billion. Gili currently serves on 10 boards and remains actively involved with early-stage founders. He is based in Mikhmoret, Israel, and is a minority owner of Hapoel Tel Aviv basketball club. Cyberstarts' portfolio includes industry leaders like Wiz, Fireblocks, Island, Cyera, and Transmit Security, representing close to half the global private cybersecurity market capitalization. The firm's unique 'Sunrise' methodology involves close collaboration with founding teams from the inception of their companies, emphasizing identifying and addressing critical pain points within the cybersecurity sector. This approach guides startups from product ideation to achieving product-market fit and beyond. Cyberstarts is headquartered in Mikhmoret, Israel, and is recognized as a leading partner for top-tier cybersecurity founders worldwide. The firm is also known for its entrepreneur-backed funding structure, with investors comprising some of the most successful figures in the cybersecurity industry, including Shlomo Kramer of Cato Networks, Imperva, and Check Point, Marius Nacht of Check Point, Nir Zuk from Palo Alto Networks, Udi Mokady from CyberArk, Nir Polak of Exabeam, and Michael Shaulov of Fireblocks. In addition to its investment activities, Cyberstarts has been involved in discussions regarding its 'Sunrise' program, which compensates Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) for their participation in the p

Investment Focus

• Focus on early-stage cybersecurity startups
• Strong founder collaboration
• Global market reach
• Innovative cybersecurity solutions
• Strong founding teams
• Scalable business models
• Global market potential
• Clear product-market fit
• Differentiated technology
• Experienced leadership
• Proven traction
• Sustainable competitive advantage
• Ability to address critical cybersecurity challenges

Portfolio Companies