Mandia moves from Strategic Partner to GP to finance and incubate the next generation of cybersecurity innovation
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ballistic Venturesthe venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to financing and incubating entrepreneurs and innovations in cybersecurity, is pleased to announce that co-founder Kevin Mandia is now General Partner.
Mandia is one of the world’s most recognized experts in cybersecurity, known for his relentless efforts to combat cyber threats for more than 30 years. In 2004, he founded a famous cybersecurity company Mandant, served as CEO from 2004 to 2013, when Mandiant Corporation was acquired by FireEye. Mandia took the helm as CEO of FireEye in 2016, guiding the company through a divestment and corporate name change to Mandiant, Inc. in 2021, and through a successful acquisition by Google in 2022. Mandia has recently moved to an advisory role within Google Cloud, and he continues to sit on the Google Public Sector board.
In 2023, Mandia was appointed by President Biden to serve as a member of the National Security Telecommunications Advisory Committee (NSTAC). He is also a member of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Advisory Committee. Previously, he held senior positions in the security consulting divisions of Sytex, acquired by Lockheed Martin, and Foundstone, acquired by McAfee. He also served United States Air Force as a computer security officer at the Pentagon, and later as a special agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
“I’m very excited to devote more of my energy to Ballistic Ventures, and I’m especially looking forward to working with the entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of cybersecurity,” said Mandia.
Ballistic Ventures was co-founded in 2021 by Mandia and General Partners Barmak Meftah, Ted Schlein, Jake Seid and Roger Thornton. While serving as CEO of Mandiant (now part of Google Cloud), Mandia served as co-founder and strategic partner at Ballistic, leading the company’s investment in SpectreOps, the company Attack Path Management, where he is an observer for the board of directors of the company. Mandia also served as the second investment partner for five of the VC firm’s 18 investments to date, and is a Board Observer for portfolio company Aletheathe disinformation detection and mitigation company.
“We are excited to have Kevin as a general partner at Ballistic,” said Schlein. “Kevin’s expertise in the cybersecurity industry is unparalleled, and his knowledge of the market and customer set is second to none.”
As General Partner, Mandia will draw from his extensive knowledge of the threat landscape and expertise as a successful founder and CEO to expand his investments within the company and continue to guide entrepreneurs and scale companies across the Ballistic portfolio.
Mandia’s move to General Partner comes on the heels of Ballistic Ventures announcing its closure $360 million oversubscribed second fund. The company is actively looking to invest the new capital in new innovations led by passionate cybersecurity entrepreneurs.
About Ballistic Ventures
Ballistic Ventures is a venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to cybersecurity and early-stage cyber-related companies. The partners have spent their entire careers defending against every conceivable cyber threat. Company members have founded, operated, and funded more than 100 successful cybersecurity companies—including Abnormal Security, AlienVault, ArcSight, Fortify, Mandiant, and Shape Security—lead over 10,000 security professionals worldwide, and have 40+ years of venture capital experience. . The ballistics portfolio includes Aembit, Alethea, ArmorCode, AuthMind, Codezero, Concentric AI, Mimic, Nudge Security, Oligo, Pangea, Perygee, Reach Security, SpecterOps, Talon (PANW), Veza and WitnessAI. Our experience gives entrepreneurs influential support from people focused on the same mission. Our networks and relationships open doors for our founders. Learn more ballisticventures.com.
SOURCE Ballistic Ventures