Holly Ventures today announced the launch of its $33 million debut fund, a solo-led cybersecurity vehicle built around a simple idea: for early-stage cyber start-ups, access and value matter more than capital.

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Holly Ventures Launches $33M Cybersecurity Fund on New Model Built for Access, not Just Capital

Founded by John Brennan, formerly a Senior Partner at YL Ventures, Holly Ventures is designed as the counter-model to today’s outsized cyber platforms. Instead of competing on fund size or AI messaging, Holly Ventures focuses on Day Zero: the stage where founders need direct engagement with the decision-maker and flexibility in how they structure their cap tables.

Founders often face a choice between the brand power of large platforms and the deep sector focus of smaller funds. Holly Ventures is designed to give them both: a focused check that preserves optionality on the cap table and hands-on involvement typically associated with a lead investor.

“Great early-stage security founders generally aren’t lacking for capital, but not all investor capital is created equal,” Brennan said. “Holly Ventures exists to work directly with teams as early as their ideation processes and is laser focused on supporting founders at the earliest stages of company building.”

A high-density network behind a focused fund

Backed by investors from Bessemer Venture Partners, Ballistic Ventures, CRV, Wing VC, IVP, TCV, Notable Capital, Team8, Brightmind, Ten Eleven Ventures and others, as well as by larger institutions like Vanderbilt University and Okta Ventures, Holly Ventures delivers the network breadth of a far larger fund while preserving the flexibility and responsiveness of an angel investor. It’s a large fund-style network (encompassing LPs, GPs, customers, security leaders and long-standing co-investor relationships) that enables Holly Ventures to deliver founders maximum access to their target market while staying focused and nimble.

The result is intentional asymmetry: the network, experience and founder access of a major platform delivered through a solo-GP model that keeps every interaction close to the work.

“John was with us on the ground during the early days at Medigate. Whether it was customer introductions, or more strategic support, we always knew we could call him with any question, big or small,” said Jonathan Langer, who served as co-founder and CEO of Medigate, which sold to Claroty for $400M in 2022.

Eran Barak, co-founder and CEO of MIND (and former co-founder and CEO of Hexadite, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2017), shared that “John was our Board Member at MIND, sure, but he was always willing to roll up his sleeves in the weeds. He was incredibly supportive, but also wasn’t afraid to deliver harsh feedback when needed. It’s a hard line to walk as an investor, but we always knew he was in our corner.”

Built for seed, designed for partnership

Holly Ventures invests exclusively in seed-stage cybersecurity companies, investing alongside larger leads, generally in $5-10 million rounds. Holly Ventures’ first six investments, two of which have already progressed to Series A, have been led by a mix of top-tier U.S. and Israeli firms, underscoring Holly Ventures’ role as a collaborative partner rather than a competitive one. Lead investors in deals to date include: Index Ventures, Notable Capital, Team8, Cyberstarts, Sequoia, General Catalyst and Foundation Capital.

Brennan’s experience in both the U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity ecosystems gives Holly Ventures immediate reach into two of the industry’s strongest hubs for technical talent and early customer feedback. His work with founders spans board preparation, executive hiring, customer strategy and being the “first phone call” when difficult situations arise.

“Early-stage cybersecurity is noisy,” Brennan said. “Founders have plenty of places to get capital. Holly Ventures is where they come to get attention from a world-class network that can make a difference, starting on Day Zero.”

About Holly Ventures

Holly Ventures is a $33 million, solo-led seed fund investing in cybersecurity startups from Day Zero. Designed around access rather than assets, Holly Ventures provides founders with direct GP engagement, early-stage operating help and a high-density network typically associated with much larger platforms, while remaining intentionally small and focused. Based in San Francisco, the firm invests across the U.S. and Israel.

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