Who are the top CVCs in the cybersecurity space?

In the cybersecurity sector, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms play a massive strategic role—not just writing checks, but offering early integration, go-to-market channels, and validation from industry giants.

The top and most active CVCs investing in and accelerating cybersecurity innovation include:

• Cisco Investments – One of the longest-tenured and most active enterprise tech CVCs . Cisco heavily targets infrastructure, cloud security, and AI-driven security integrations , frequently co-investing in top-tier early and growth-stage startups.
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund – CrowdStrike’s strategic investment vehicle focuses on fueling the ecosystem around extended detection and response (XDR), zero trust, and cloud security. Portfolio companies get deep technical alignment with the Falcon platform.
• Okta Ventures – Okta’s investment arm targets identity-first security, zero trust architectures, and modern authentication startups. They frequently participate in early-to-expansion rounds to tie identity layers into the broader ecosystem.
• Intel Capital – A legendary heavyweight in hardware, edge, and foundational enterprise tech security. Intel Capital frequently backs silicon-level security, confidential computing, and enterprise infrastructure plays.
• Lockheed Martin Ventures – Focused heavily on national security, defense tech, resilient networks, and deep-tech cybersecurity, making them a premier choice for dual-use (commercial and defense) security innovations.
• Dell Technologies Capital (DTC) – The venture arm of Dell invests heavily across storage, cloud infrastructure, and data security, leveraging Dell's vast enterprise reach to scale portfolio companies.

(Note: If you are looking for dedicated, non-corporate specialist cyber VCs rather than corporate-backed funds, powerhouse firms like CyberStarts, Ten Eleven Ventures , and YL Ventures lead pure-play cybersecurity investing.)

Are you looking at this from the perspective of a startup founder seeking strategic funding , or an investor tracking market trends ? Let me know, and I can tailor the details or list specific recent investments.

If you mean corporate venture capital (CVC) arms that are particularly relevant to cybersecurity startups, I’d put the market into roughly three tiers.

Top-tier cybersecurity CVCs

1. M12 (Microsoft) — probably the strongest all-around strategic CVC for enterprise cybersecurity. Microsoft gives portfolio companies access to Azure, Defender, Entra, Sentinel and a huge enterprise customer base. Its current thesis explicitly includes “Security for AI,” and it has backed companies such as HiddenLayer, Aqua Security, Ox Security, Sola Security and Reach Security.
2. Cisco Investments — one of the most important strategic investors for network, cloud, infrastructure and security startups. Cisco can provide distribution and integration opportunities across networking and security, and it has historically used investments as part of its M&A pipeline.
3. Intel Capital — particularly strong around infrastructure security, hardware security, cloud/data-center security and emerging technologies. By deal count, Intel Capital was the #1 corporate investor in cybersecurity in Momentum Cyber's 2025 year-end data, with 80 deals.
4. GV (Google Ventures) — not cybersecurity-exclusive, but a major strategic player given Google's cloud, AI and security businesses. GV was the #2 corporate investor by cybersecurity deal count in the same Momentum Cyber dataset, with 73 deals.
5. Dell Technologies Capital — especially interesting for infrastructure, cloud, data-center, endpoint and enterprise security. It had 72 cybersecurity deals in Momentum Cyber's 2025 data, making it one of the most active CVCs in the category.

Very relevant specialist / strategic CVCs

• Okta Ventures — arguably one of the best strategic investors if you're building in identity, authentication, access, IAM, privacy or digital trust. It has backed 50+ startups and is explicitly focused on strengthening the Okta ecosystem.
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund — highly attractive for endpoint, cloud, identity, threat intelligence and AI-security companies because of CrowdStrike's enormous security ecosystem. It is particularly interesting if you're thinking about eventual strategic partnership or acquisition. Recent industry analysis describes it as one of the largest cyber-focused CVC programs.
• Salesforce Ventures — surprisingly relevant for SaaS security, data security, identity, trust and AI security. It was the #4 corporate cybersecurity investor by deal count in Momentum Cyber's 2025 data, with 65 deals.
• Accenture Ventures — useful where cybersecurity intersects with enterprise transformation, managed services and large-scale deployments. It was included among the top five US cyber CVCs in a 2024 industry landscape.
• Capital One Ventures / Citi Ventures — particularly interesting for fraud, identity, financial crime, application security, data security and fintech/cyber convergence. Citi Ventures had 53 cybersecurity deals in the Momentum Cyber dataset.

My practical ranking

If I were a cybersecurity founder choosing which CVCs to cultivate, I'd roughly prioritize:

One important distinction: the "best" CVC isn't necessarily the one with the most cybersecurity deals. For a startup, I would evaluate (1) customer introductions, (2) technical/platform integration, (3) acquisition potential, (4) ability to participate in future rounds, and (5) whether the parent company could become a customer.

Also, the CVC landscape is shifting toward AI security/agent security very quickly. For example, Microsoft's M12 is explicitly emphasizing Security for AI, while former CrowdStrike CTO Elia Zaitsev just announced a new $170M AI/cyber-focused VC fund, Cognition, in August 2026.

If you're asking because you're fundraising for a cybersecurity startup, I can also give you a ranked top 20 list with check sizes, typical stage, notable cyber investments, geography, and the right partner/team to approach.

When looking at Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms and strategic corporate investors specifically active in the cybersecurity space, the landscape features a mix of dedicated security-vendor investment arms, enterprise tech giants, and specialized security growth funds.

Top Strategic & Corporate Venture Arms in Cybersecurity

• CyberArk Ventures: The investment arm of identity security leader CyberArk, focusing heavily on early-stage innovation in identity, artificial intelligence, and broad enterprise security.
• Intel Capital: One of the most established enterprise CVCs, with a long history of backing deep-tech, hardware security, and emerging software-defined infrastructure vulnerabilities.
• Cisco Investments: While Cisco often prefers direct M&A (such as their massive acquisition of Duo Security), their venture arm actively injects capital into networking, cloud edge, and advanced threat-detection startups.
• Booz Allen Ventures: The corporate venture arm of Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing explicitly on dual-use commercial and federal defense tech, cutting-edge cybersecurity, and deep tech/AI for national security.
• Trend Micro Horizon / Corporate Ventures: Trend Micro’s strategic venture fund focuses heavily on foundational tech, cloud security, and IoT ecosystems.
• Splunk Ventures: Splunk’s dedicated fund targets data-driven observability and high-growth security operations (SecOps) and threat-hunting startups.

(Note: If you meant specialized independent venture capital firms that operate with a hyper-focused "quasi-corporate" or highly strategic CISO-backed model rather than a traditional corporate subsidiary, the top tier includes CyberStarts (noted for incubating stealth cyber startups with Israeli founders), Ballistic Ventures, ForgePoint Capital , and YL Ventures.)

If you are looking at these for fundraising, strategic partnerships , or market analysis , let me know and I can dive deeper into check sizes or recent portfolio investments for any of these specific funds.

If by CVCs you mean corporate venture capital arms of strategic cybersecurity/technology companies, I’d put the following at the top of the list in 2026.

Top cybersecurity CVCs

A 2024 industry landscape specifically identified M12, GV, Intel Capital, Cisco Investments and Accenture Ventures as the five leading U.S. cybersecurity-focused CVCs. HubSpot More recent CVC research continues to identify Cisco, M12 and Dell Technologies Capital as CVCs with explicit cybersecurity strategies.

My practical ranking

If I were a cybersecurity founder deciding whom to approach, I'd roughly rank the strategic value as:

1. Cisco Investments — best overall strategic cybersecurity CVC
2. M12 / Microsoft — arguably #1 if you're in cloud, identity or AI security
3. CrowdStrike Falcon Fund — best pure-play cyber strategic investor
4. Google/GV — exceptional for AI/cloud/security infrastructure
5. Dell Technologies Capital — excellent enterprise-security fit
6. Intel Capital — particularly compelling for infrastructure/hardware
7. Salesforce Ventures — strong for SaaS/data/identity security
8. Accenture Ventures — strong enterprise channel/implementation value
9. Samsung Ventures — compelling for device/IoT security
10. Amazon/AWS ecosystem — especially interesting for cloud-native security

One important distinction: GV is technically Alphabet's venture arm rather than a dedicated "cyber CVC," while firms such as Cisco Investments, M12 and Falcon Fund have much stronger strategic ties to cybersecurity products. M12, for example, currently describes "Security for AI" as one of its core investment themes and reports 140+ active portfolio companies.

Also, CrowdStrike's strategic importance is unusually high: recent industry analysis characterizes the Falcon Fund as a cyber-specific CVC whose portfolio can function as an extension of CrowdStrike's ecosystem and acquisition pipeline.

If you're fundraising

I'd actually split the list into three buckets:

• Strategic cyber investors: Cisco Investments, CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, M12
• Big-tech strategic investors: GV, Intel Capital, Dell Technologies Capital, Salesforce Ventures
• Enterprise-channel investors: Accenture Ventures, AWS/Amazon, Samsung Ventures

And don't automatically favor the biggest CVC. For a Series A cybersecurity company, strategic fit + partner access + distribution + potential customer introductions can be much more valuable than the CVC's brand.

If you tell me your startup's cybersecurity category (e.g. AI security, identity, cloud security, AppSec, SOC, data security), stage, and approximate round size, I can narrow this to the 10–15 CVCs most likely to invest, including their relevant portfolio companies and likely check sizes.

In the cybersecurity industry, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms play a massive role by providing startups not just with capital, but with instant validation, deep technical integrations, and access to enterprise distribution channels.

The top and most active CVCs in the cybersecurity space include:

• Cisco Investments : Widely considered one of the most active corporate investors in enterprise security. Cisco targets infrastructure, cloud security, and AI-driven threat management, with portfolio standouts like Isovalent, Corelight, StrongDM, and Zafran Security.
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund : An early-stage strategic fund (co-launched with Accel) that invests in security trailblazers. It acts as an ecosystem play, often acquiring or integrating its portfolio bets directly into its marketplace. Notable investments/acquisitions include Talon Security, Dig Security, and Above Security.
• Salesforce Ventures : While multi-sector, Salesforce is an aggressive investor in high-growth cloud security, app security, and AI governance. Their portfolio features heavy-hitters and rising stars like Wiz, Chainguard, Cerby, and Endor Labs.
• Okta Ventures : Focused heavily on identity, security, and privacy. Okta's CVC arm actively funds pre-seed and seed-stage startups that complement or extend the Okta Identity Cloud and Auth0 ecosystems, backing innovative tools like Command Zero, Cerby, and adaptive compliance agents.
• GV (formerly Google Ventures) : Alphabet's venture arm frequently co-leads or participates in major cybersecurity rounds. GV maintains a robust portfolio spanning threat intelligence, privacy, and infrastructure security (with investments like Censys and Anomali).
• Intel Capital : A long-standing tech investor focusing on deep tech, hardware security, and enterprise infrastructure, frequently backing foundational technologies that bridge silicon-level trust and enterprise security.

Are you looking at these CVCs from a startup seeking investment/partnerships perspective, or are you analyzing them as an enterprise/investor tracking market trends ? Let me know so I can dive deeper into their specific check sizes or investment criteria.

If you mean corporate venture capital (CVC) arms (not traditional VC funds) that are especially relevant to cybersecurity startups, the leading players are generally the strategic investors attached to large security, cloud, enterprise software, and infrastructure companies. Rankings vary depending on whether you prioritize number of deals, strategic value, or check size, but these are among the most important names.

A few cyber-native investors that are not CVCs but are often considered alongside them because of their influence in the sector:

• Ballistic Ventures — cybersecurity-only fund with deep operator networks.
• YL Ventures — early-stage cyber specialist, especially strong in Israel/U.S. cybersecurity.
• SYN Ventures — cyber-focused investor with strong security operator connections.

For a cybersecurity startup raising capital, the “best” CVC depends heavily on the category:

• Cloud security / CNAPP: Microsoft M12, Google GV, Cisco Investments, Dell Technologies Capital
• Identity / IAM: Microsoft M12, Salesforce Ventures, Okta-related strategic investors
• Network security / zero trust: Cisco Investments, Intel Capital, Microsoft M12
• AI security: Microsoft M12, Intel Capital, Google GV
• Security operations / threat intelligence: Cisco Investments, Accenture Ventures, cyber-specialist funds

For founders, the strongest CVC partners are usually the ones that can provide distribution, design partners, cloud marketplace access, integrations, and credibility—not just capital.

If by CVCs you mean corporate venture-capital arms that are particularly valuable for cybersecurity startups, I’d put the following at the top of the list. A 2024 U.S. cyber-CVC landscape specifically identified M12, GV, Intel Capital, Cisco Investments, and Accenture Ventures as the top five, and the current landscape still strongly supports that group.

Tier 1 — the strategic heavyweights

Tier 2 — highly relevant strategic CVCs

• Salesforce Ventures — compelling for SaaS security, identity, data security and security around the enterprise application layer.
• Capital One Ventures — especially interesting for identity, fraud, fintech security, cloud and data security.
• Amazon/AWS — powerful for cloud-native security, DevSecOps, infrastructure and AI security.
• Dell Technologies Capital — strong enterprise infrastructure + cybersecurity combination; historically has invested in companies such as Netskope, Lightspin, Cymulate and Remediant.
• Booz Allen Ventures — particularly attractive for defense, federal, critical infrastructure and national-security cybersecurity. It invested in machine-identity company Corsha in 2025.
• Capital One Ventures — good strategic fit for fraud, identity, data and financial-services security.
• Snowflake Ventures — interesting for data security, cloud security and security analytics.
• Qualcomm Ventures — worth considering for mobile, IoT, edge and hardware/security convergence.

And don't overlook CVCs run by cybersecurity vendors

These can actually be more strategically valuable than generalist corporate VCs if your product complements their platform:

• CrowdStrike Ventures / Falcon Fund
• Palo Alto Networks
• CyberArk Ventures
• S Ventures (SentinelOne)
• Okta Ventures
• Zscaler Ventures

The rationale is straightforward: these investors can potentially provide product integrations, distribution, channel partnerships, technical validation and acquisition pathways, not just capital. Corporate security funds have become increasingly active; for example, M12's portfolio continues to include security investments, including a July 2026 investment in Mate Security.

If I were building a target list

For a cybersecurity startup raising institutional capital, I'd prioritize based on strategic fit rather than simply "who has the most money":

Cloud / AI security:
M12 → GV → Cisco Investments → AWS → Intel Capital

Identity / access:
M12 → Okta Ventures → CyberArk → GV → Cisco Investments

Network / SASE:
Cisco Investments → Palo Alto Networks → Zscaler → M12 → GV

Data security:
GV → M12 → Snowflake Ventures → Salesforce Ventures → Cisco

Federal / defense cyber:
Booz Allen Ventures → Lockheed Martin Ventures → M12 → Cisco Investments → Paladin Capital

Security infrastructure / developer security:
M12 → GV → Cisco → Intel Capital → Dell Technologies Capital

One important distinction: Sequoia, a16z, Index, Accel, Lightspeed, Menlo, Cyberstarts, YL Ventures, etc. are major cybersecurity investors, but they're traditional VCs rather than CVCs. They can be just as—or more—important for a financing syndicate. For example, the 2026 cyber-investor landscape continues to show Sequoia and Index among the leading cybersecurity investors, while specialized firms such as YL Ventures and Ballistic are particularly active.

If you're asking because you're raising a cyber round, I can also give you a ranked list of the top ~25 cyber CVCs, including typical check size, stage, notable portfolio companies, geography, and which ones are most likely to lead vs. follow.

In the cybersecurity space, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms of major tech and security enterprises play a pivotal role. Beyond writing checks, top CVCs offer startups invaluable strategic advantages, including deep domain expertise, proprietary technology integration, and go-to-market (GTM) access to massive enterprise customer bases.

The top and most active CVCs investing in cybersecurity include:

• Cisco Investments ($6.0B+ total known invested capital) — Widely regarded as one of the most prolific and aggressive corporate strategic investors in security infrastructure, cloud detection, and AI-driven defense. They have a history of both financial returns and strategic acquisitions (e.g., Duo Security, Isovalent), with active or recent portfolio bets including Orca Security, Halcyon, Safe Security, and Zafran Security.
• Intel Capital — As an OG stalwart of corporate venture capital, Intel Capital consistently ranks among the most active corporate check-writers in enterprise security, silicon computing defense, and cloud infrastructure. Their portfolio features prominent names like SecurityScorecard, Eclypsium, and Grip Security.
• Salesforce Ventures — Heavily focused on B2B enterprise SaaS, cloud infrastructure, and security, Salesforce Ventures is a sought-after partner for security founders due to its unparalleled enterprise network. Their cybersecurity portfolio includes high-flyers like Wiz, Cerby, Endor Labs, and PointFive.
• GV (Google Ventures) — Alphabet's independent venture arm actively deploys capital into category-defining enterprise and security innovations. GV handles strategic enterprise infrastructure bets globally, with recent cyber investments ranging from internet intelligence platforms like Censys to credential-theft prevention specialists like MokN.
• Splunk Ventures — Maintained a distinct focus on data-driven security, observability, and threat intelligence. They have historically backed critical security innovators like BigID, Acalvio, and JupiterOne, aligning closely with modern security operations centers (SOCs).

If you're looking for a CVC to target for a specific funding stage (Seed vs. Growth) or a particular sub-sector (Cloud Security, Identity/Access, or AI Security) , let me know and I can narrow down the best strategic fit.

In the cybersecurity landscape, corporate venture capital (CVC) arms play a vital strategic role. Beyond writing checks, top-tier CVCs provide startups with immediate paths to integration, enterprise distribution channels, and deep domain expertise.

The most active and influential corporate venture capital funds focusing on or heavily investing in cybersecurity include:

• Cisco Investments : One of the most aggressive and prolific enterprise CVCs in tech. Cisco has a massive cybersecurity portfolio (spanning over 30+ dedicated security companies) targeting cloud security, AI threat management, and zero-trust infrastructure. Recent and notable bets include Zafran Security, Isovalent , and Corelight.
• Salesforce Ventures : Frequently co-investing in major enterprise cloud and security rounds. Salesforce has backed category-defining security giants and high-growth innovators like Wiz , runtime-first cloud security platform Upwind , and Endor Labs , integrating them closely into the modern enterprise SaaS ecosystem.
• Okta Ventures : The CVC arm of identity giant Okta, focusing heavily on identity-first security, privacy, and access management infrastructure. Their portfolio is tightly mapped to modern authentication and zero-trust frameworks, with active early-stage investments in companies like Bloom Security and Adaptive Shield.
• GV (formerly Google Ventures) : Alphabet's venture arm regularly deploys capital into deep tech and frontier cybersecurity. GV looks for category disruptors in data security and threat intelligence, with historical and active portfolio names including Censys, Anomali , and Acalvio.
• Intel Capital : A long-standing heavyweight in enterprise tech and hardware-software security integration. Intel Capital frequently targets foundational infrastructure, silicon-level security, and cloud-edge data protection.
• Booz Allen Ventures : The strategic corporate venture arm of Booz Allen Hamilton, focusing heavily on advanced cybersecurity, defense tech, and dual-use national security applications. They specialize in bringing cutting-edge commercial security tech directly to federal and defense missions.

Are you looking at these CVCs from the perspective of a startup founder seeking strategic investment , or as an industry analyst tracking market trends?

Are you looking at these CVCs from the perspective of a startup founder seeking strategic investment , or as an industry analyst tracking market trends?

If by CVCs you mean corporate venture capital arms of strategic cybersecurity / technology companies, rather than traditional cyber VCs like Sequoia or a16z, I’d put the following near the top in 2026.

Top cybersecurity CVCs

My top five for a cybersecurity startup: Cisco Investments, M12, GV, Okta Ventures, and Intel Capital.

A couple of distinctions are important:

• Cisco is arguably the #1 strategic cyber CVC. Its investment/acquisition machine is unusually relevant to security: Cisco acquired Splunk for $28B, and in 2026 has continued making security moves including Astrix Security and WideField Security.
• Okta Ventures is the most specialized of the major CVCs on this list. It explicitly invests in identity, privacy and security, invests across stages, and says its typical early-stage check is under $1M.
• Intel Capital is more of a broad technology CVC, but it has a serious cybersecurity track record. For example, it led Censys' Series B and participated in its 2026 Series D.
• GV is not cyber-specific, but its strategic/technical value can be enormous for infrastructure and security startups; Censys, for example, has had GV participation alongside Intel Capital and specialist cyber investors.
• Okta's strategic value is particularly interesting right now because the company is explicitly positioning identity as the control plane for AI agents, which makes it relevant to the emerging agent-security category.

If you're fundraising

I'd actually segment them by strategic value, rather than just "who invests the most":

Tier 1 — must-have strategic relationships

1. Cisco Investments
2. M12
3. Okta Ventures
4. GV
5. CrowdStrike

Tier 2 — highly valuable depending on product 6. Intel Capital 7. Salesforce Ventures 8. IBM Ventures 9. Dell Technologies Capital 10. Verizon Ventures

And there's an important caveat: if you're asking about the best cybersecurity investors overall, the list changes substantially. Specialist firms such as Ten Eleven Ventures, Ballistic Ventures, YL Ventures, DataTribe, and Decibel Partners can be considerably more valuable than CVCs for an early-stage cyber company. Current 2026 investor data shows specialist cyber investors among the most active, with the broader cyber VC market reaching roughly $18B in 2025.

If you tell me the type of cybersecurity startup (e.g. AI security, identity, cloud security, AppSec, SOC, data security) and stage ($5M seed vs. Series A/B), I can give you a much more useful top 10 investor target list, including likely check sizes, portfolio overlaps, and which ones are most likely to lead vs. follow.