Innovations that Aim to Save the Digital World

Cyberattacks are one of the biggest threats facing society today. And although organizations spend vast sums on cybersecurity, the problem keeps getting worse. One report found that there were more data breaches in 2020 than the previous 15 years combined.

While the number of cybersecurity companies has tripled in the last three years, hackers are constantly coming up with more effective tools and tactics, and launching more brazen attacks. They continue to pose a growing threat to critical infrastructure and the digital world.

Woven Capital’s mission is to invest in the future of mobility and drive innovation in adjacent industries that help people all over the world lead happier, healthier, richer lives. When building mobility technologies, whether it’s inside the car or outside, security must be top of mind from the outset.

And that’s why we're excited to work with Ballistic, a new venture capital firm that is dedicated exclusively to funding and incubating entrepreneurs and innovations in cybersecurity. Having a partner like Ballistic Ventures ensures that we have access to the best expertise and innovations in the cybersecurity space.

A world-class cyber team

Ballistic is truly a team of all-stars. Members of the firm have founded, operated or funded over 90 successful cybersecurity firms, led over 10,000 security professionals globally and have a total of 40+ years of experience in venture capital.

This is the deepest bench of operators, entrepreneurs and investors I’ve ever seen in the cybersecurity space. The team includes general partners Barmak Meftah, Ted Schlein, Jake Seid and Roger Thornton, incubation partner Derek Smith and strategic partner Kevin Mandia. Unlike other VC funds, which may have one or two cyber experts on staff, Ballistic lives and breathes cybersecurity.

The Ballistic members have spent most of their careers defending against the full spectrum of cyber threats.

I first met Ted Schlein back when I was in business school. He came to campus as a featured speaker on the first day of my orientation. As a speaker coming from the venture capital industry, which was the precise industry I was striving to enter post business school, his speech that day was highly memorable for me. It’s an honor now to be working with him and Ballistic’s other partners, all of whom are legends in their field. The entire Ballistics team has experienced incredible success over the years and they’re passionate about solving the large and very important problem of cybersecurity. For them, it’s personal. They launched Ballistic Ventures out of a profound sense of urgency and feeling of moral responsibility to address the growing cyber threat to society’s infrastructure.

A security-first future

It is our conviction that, when developing new technologies—such as autonomy, robotics, personal mobility, smart homes and artificial intelligence—cybersecurity must be integrated into the technology from the outset. The world can no longer afford to build products first and deal with security later.

Through our relationship with partners like Ballistic Ventures, we can continue to invest and support innovators in cybersecurity to ensure a safe and prosperous future for generations to come.