Who are the top CVCs in the cybersecurity space?

If you mean corporate venture capital (CVC) arms that invest strategically in cybersecurity startups (rather than traditional VCs like Accel, Sequoia, a16z, etc.), the leading names are generally the CVCs attached to major security, cloud, and enterprise technology companies. There is no single universally accepted ranking, but these are among the most influential by cybersecurity activity, strategic relevance, and portfolio impact.

Particularly active cybersecurity CVCs by deal volume

Recent industry datasets tracking corporate cybersecurity investors have highlighted:

• Intel Capital
• GV
• Dell Technologies Capital
• Salesforce Ventures
• Cisco Investments
• M12
• Citi Ventures
• Okta Ventures
• Qualcomm Ventures as among the more active corporate investors in cybersecurity.

If you are a cybersecurity founder, the “best fit” CVC often depends on the category:

• Cloud security / CNAPP / workload security: Microsoft M12, GV, Cisco Investments, CrowdStrike Falcon Fund
• Identity / IAM / authentication: Okta Ventures, Microsoft M12, Salesforce Ventures
• AI security / LLM security: Microsoft M12, GV, NVIDIA-related strategic investors, Cisco Investments
• Network security / zero trust: Cisco Investments, CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, Intel Capital
• Hardware / IoT / edge security: Intel Capital, Qualcomm Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital

For fundraising, many cybersecurity startups also pair CVC money with specialist security VCs such as Forgepoint Capital, Ten Eleven Ventures, Team8, and SYN Ventures because those firms provide domain expertise beyond strategic corporate access.

If you’re asking from a startup fundraising perspective, the shortlist changes depending on whether you’re seed, Series A/B, or growth stage.

In the cybersecurity ecosystem, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms play a vital strategic role. Beyond providing capital, top-tier CVCs offer startups integration paths, enterprise distribution, and validation from industry incumbents.

The most prominent and active corporate venture capital arms investing heavily in the cybersecurity space include:

• Intel Capital — Operating as an independent corporate-backed platform, Intel Capital has a long-standing history of backing core infrastructure and enterprise security. Their cyber portfolio includes prominent names like SecurityScorecard, Eclypsium, and Truffle Security.
• Okta Ventures — The CVC arm of identity giant Okta is laser-focused on identity, privacy, and zero-trust architectures. They target early-stage startups, and their portfolio features high-profile past and present acquisitions like Tessian, Dig Security, and DataGrail.
• GV (formerly Google Ventures) — Alphabet’s venture arm frequently participates in massive enterprise and infrastructure rounds. GV's cybersecurity investments span critical areas of threat detection and data protection, with notable portfolio companies like Censys and Anomali.
• Salesforce Ventures — Known primarily for cloud and enterprise SaaS ecosystems, Salesforce Ventures aggressively backs cloud security and identity governance players (such as Wiz, Auth0, and BigID).
• Dell Technologies Capital (DTC) — Dell’s investment arm acts as an active early-to-growth stage investor in enterprise infrastructure, data security, and automated remediation, counting companies like Netskope and Cymulate among its deployments.
• Lockheed Martin Ventures — Representing the defense and aerospace sector, they target dual-use technologies, advanced threat intelligence, and hard-tech cybersecurity solutions critical to both national security and enterprise defense infrastructure.
• Citi Ventures — Financial institutions face some of the highest threat volumes globally. Citi's venture arm targets systemic and foundational security startups, notably backing category leaders like Snyk and Socure.

If you're looking into fundraising or market analysis, let me know:

• Are you looking for CVCs that invest at a specific stage (Seed vs. Growth)?
• Do you want to focus on a particular sub-sector (e.g., Cloud Security, AI Security, Identity)?

If you mean corporate venture capital (CVC) investors whose parent companies have strategic interests in cybersecurity, the strongest players are generally the ones with cybersecurity products, cloud platforms, enterprise distribution, or acquisition pathways. Rankings vary depending on whether you measure deal volume, cyber specialization, portfolio quality, or strategic value.

Top cybersecurity-focused CVCs

HubSpot Momentum Cyber## Particularly strong cybersecurity CVCs by category

Best for cloud security startups

• M12 (Microsoft) — especially if the company integrates with Azure, Defender, Sentinel, or Entra.
• GV — strong fit for technically differentiated cloud/security infrastructure companies.
• Cisco Investments — strong enterprise channel value.

Best for identity / zero trust

• M12
• Salesforce Ventures
• Okta Ventures (more narrowly focused than many CVCs)
• GV

Momentum Cyber### Best for infrastructure / deep tech security

• Intel Capital
• Qualcomm Ventures
• Dell Technologies Capital
• Cisco Investments

Momentum Cyber### Best strategic investors if acquisition is a possible outcome

• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund
• Cisco Investments
• Microsoft / M12
• Palo Alto Networks-related strategic investing activity

El Dorado Capital## A practical founder-oriented shortlist

If you are a cybersecurity startup founder raising a round, I would usually put these near the top of the target list:

1. M12 — strongest overall strategic fit for enterprise security.
2. Cisco Investments — strongest networking/security ecosystem leverage.
3. CrowdStrike Falcon Fund — strongest pure-play cyber strategic alignment.
4. Intel Capital — strongest for security infrastructure and hardware.
5. GV — strongest for frontier technical/security platforms.
6. Dell Technologies Capital — strong enterprise infrastructure investor.
7. Salesforce Ventures — strong for SaaS/data/security workflows.

A caveat: CVCs are often best used as strategic investors, not necessarily as lead investors. Many cybersecurity companies pair them with specialist cyber VCs such as Sequoia Capital, Accel, a16z, Cyberstarts, or Team8 for category expertise and fundraising support.

If you mean "top CVCs by cybersecurity deal count" versus "best CVCs for a startup seeking investment", the ranking changes.

In the cybersecurity ecosystem, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms play a vital role. Unlike traditional VCs, top CVCs offer startups immediate access to enterprise customer pipelines, deep technical integrations, and global distribution.

The top CVCs actively investing and leading deals in the cybersecurity space include:

• Cisco Investments — One of the longest-tenured and most active enterprise tech CVCs. With a massive portfolio spanning over 100 active companies and dozens of fund commitments, Cisco heavily targets cloud, infrastructure, and core security.
• Salesforce Ventures — Known for a heavy enterprise cloud and software focus, Salesforce Ventures actively co-leads defense and cybersecurity practices, leveraging its immense B2B SaaS footprint to scale portfolio companies.
• Intel Capital — Operating with deep roots in tech, hardware, and deeptech/security, Intel Capital manages a multi-billion-dollar portfolio and frequently backs foundational security and risk-management innovators (such as SecurityScorecard).
• CyberArk Ventures — A dedicated $30 million global fund launched by identity security giant CyberArk. It zeroes in on early-stage (Seed and Series A) startups tackling complex data, application, and identity challenges.
• Okta Ventures — The strategic investment arm of identity leader Okta. It targets early- to late-stage disruptors building technologies specifically aligned with identity management, privacy, and modern security infrastructure.
• Bitdefender Voyager Ventures — Bitdefender’s dedicated CVC arm, focusing investment on early-stage cybersecurity and AI-driven security innovations.

(Note: If you are looking for dedicated, non-corporate specialist cyber VCs rather than CVCs, firms like YL Ventures, Ballistic Ventures, ForgePoint Capital , and NightDragon dominate pure-play cybersecurity investing).

Would you like to explore portfolio highlights for one of these specific CVCs, or are you looking to pitch a specific security sub-sector (like Identity AI or Cloud Security)?

The most active and prominent corporate venture capital (CVC) arms and strategic investor funds in the cybersecurity sector include CrowdStrike Falcon Fund, Cisco Investments, Okta Ventures, CyberArk Ventures, and Intel Capital .

Strategic CVCs in cyber differ from traditional institutional VCs because they offer portfolio startups direct integration pathways, go-to-market ecosystems, and co-selling opportunities with established security platforms.

Top Cybersecurity-Focused CVCs

• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund : Launched as an early-stage co-investment vehicle (frequently partnered with tier-one VCs like Accel), it targets innovative security startups that can natively integrate with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform.
• Cisco Investments : Cisco’s strategic investment arm is a heavy hitter in enterprise networking and infrastructure security, consistently backing category leaders in cloud security, extended detection and response (XDR), and zero-trust architecture.
• Okta Ventures : A dedicated $50 million fund focusing on identity-centric security, modern authentication, zero-trust frameworks, and privacy infrastructure.
• CyberArk Ventures : A $30 million global strategic fund aimed at fueling early-stage innovation in identity security, privileged access management, and automated security operations.
• Intel Capital : One of the longest-standing corporate venture arms in tech, Intel Capital frequently participates in foundational and deep-tech security infrastructure rounds, leveraging hardware-enabled security and silicon-level insights.

Would you like to explore traditional dedicated cybersecurity VCs (such as Ballistic Ventures, YL Ventures, or NightDragon) or compare how CVC investment criteria differ from institutional funds in this space?

If by CVCs you mean corporate venture capital funds that are especially relevant to cybersecurity startups, I’d put the following near the top of the list in 2026:

My practical ranking

If I were advising a cybersecurity startup looking for strategic CVC capital, I'd roughly prioritize:

1. M12 — best broad enterprise-security strategic fit
2. Cisco Investments — exceptional network/security ecosystem
3. CrowdStrike Falcon Fund — strongest cybersecurity-native strategic investor
4. GV — enormous technical/AI/cloud ecosystem
5. Okta Ventures / CyberArk Ventures — particularly strong for identity
6. Intel Capital — infrastructure/hardware/AI security
7. S Ventures — endpoint/cloud/AI security
8. Accenture Ventures — enterprise distribution and services
9. Dell Technologies Capital — infrastructure-oriented cyber
10. Other strategic CVCs such as ServiceNow Ventures, Snowflake Ventures and Databricks Ventures depending on the product.

One important distinction: "top CVC" depends heavily on what you're optimizing for. If you're looking for capital, specialist VCs such as Cyberstarts, Ballistic Ventures, SYN Ventures, Glilot, Accel and Insight Partners may be more important than CVCs. For example, recent 2026 data puts Ballistic, SYN and Glilot among the most active cybersecurity investors by deal count.

If you tell me the cybersecurity category (e.g. AI security, identity, cloud security, data security, SOC, AppSec, GRC, OT/ICS), stage (seed/A/B/growth), and approximate round size, I can give you a much more useful top 10 CVC target list, ranked by strategic fit and likelihood of investing.

If you mean corporate venture capital (CVC) arms — strategic investors backed by large technology companies rather than traditional VC funds — the leading cybersecurity CVCs are generally the ones with strong security products, enterprise channels, and acquisition pathways.

Top cybersecurity-focused CVCs

Particularly strong CVCs by cybersecurity category

Cloud security / AI security

• M12 (Microsoft)
• GV (Google)
• Cisco Investments
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund
• ServiceNow Ventures

Identity and access security

• Okta Ventures
• M12
• Salesforce Ventures
• GV

Network security / zero trust

• Cisco Investments
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund
• Intel Capital
• M12

Security operations / enterprise workflow

• ServiceNow Ventures
• Accenture Ventures
• Salesforce Ventures

If you are a cybersecurity startup founder, the “highest strategic value” CVCs are often:

1. Microsoft M12 — distribution and ecosystem leverage.
2. Cisco Investments — enterprise networking/security adjacency.
3. CrowdStrike Falcon Fund — security-market validation and integrations.
4. Google Ventures — strong technical brand and cloud-security relevance.
5. Okta Ventures — best fit for identity-focused companies.
6. Intel Capital — strong for hardware/security infrastructure plays.

A note: the best CVC is not always the one with the biggest check. In cybersecurity, strategic fit, enterprise introductions, marketplace integrations, and eventual acquisition pathways can matter as much as capital.

If you mean all top cybersecurity investors (including specialist VCs like Ballistic, YL Ventures, SYN Ventures, Forgepoint, etc.) rather than only CVCs, the ranking changes substantially.

In the cybersecurity space, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms—the investment wings of major tech and security corporations—play a massive role. They don't just supply capital; they provide strategic validation, design partnerships, and integration into massive enterprise ecosystems.

The top and most active CVCs investing in cybersecurity include:

• Cisco Investments : One of the longest-tenured and most active CVC programs in tech. Cisco actively deploys capital into cloud infrastructure, IoT, and core security startups, acting both as a direct strategic investor and an LP in specialized cyber funds.
• Intel Capital : Historically one of the most active corporate investors in security startups globally. Intel Capital targets cloud, AI infrastructure, and cybersecurity, boasting a high track record of portfolio synergy and follow-on backing (such as investments in Grip Security, SecurityScorecard, and Eclypsium).
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund : Launched as an early-stage strategic investment vehicle, CrowdStrike's fund focuses tightly on nurturing innovative security ecosystem plays that integrate natively with the Falcon platform and extended XDR architecture.
• Salesforce Ventures : While maintaining a broad enterprise cloud focus, Salesforce frequently backs cutting-edge identity, data access, and application security startups (such as AppOmni and Bugcrowd) to fortify the enterprise trust layer.
• CyberArk Ventures : A dedicated global fund launched to fuel early-stage identity security, machine identity authentication, and privileged access innovation.
• Okta Ventures : An active strategic arm focused on zero-trust architectures, modern identity management, and privacy infrastructure.

(Note: If you are looking for dedicated, pure-play institutional cyber-focused venture capital funds rather than corporate balance-sheet arms, firms like CyberStarts, Ten Eleven Ventures, SYN Ventures , and YL Ventures dominate that landscape.)

Would you like me to focus on:

• CVC investment stages (Seed vs. Series B/Growth)
• Portfolio overlaps with specific security niches (like Identity or Cloud Security)
• Pure-play non-corporate cybersecurity VC funds?

In the cybersecurity sector, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) arms generally fall into two categories: broad tech giants with massive venture footprints (like Intel and Cisco) and pure-play cybersecurity giants that use dedicated venture funds to build out their product ecosystems and integrate early-stage innovation.

Top Pure-Play Cybersecurity CVCs

These funds are backed by leading cybersecurity product companies, offering startups deep go-to-market integrations, technical synergies, and direct access to enterprise customer bases.

• CyberArk Ventures
  • Focus: Identity security, machine identity, cloud privilege controls, and emerging defense layers.
  • Context: A dedicated global fund designed to back early-stage security innovation and tightly integrate promising technologies into the CyberArk ecosystem.
• CrowdStrike Falcon Fund
  • Focus: Extended detection and response (XDR), cloud security, data posture management, and AI-driven security.
  • Context: Frequently co-invests alongside top-tier institutional VCs (like Accel) to foster zero-trust and endpoint ecosystem extensions.
• Okta Ventures
  • Focus: Identity and access management (IAM), privacy, and modern authentication.
  • Context: Highly strategic and active; notable for backing identity-centric startups that occasionally scale into major acquisitions (e.g., Dig Security, Adaptive Shield).
• SentinelOne (S Ventures)
  • Focus: Autonomous security, AI defense operations, and cloud-native workload protection.
  • Context: A $100M fund aimed at accelerating enterprise cybersecurity startups that leverage next-gen data and machine learning architectures.

Top Broad Tech & Enterprise CVCs

These major corporate arms invest heavily across enterprise software, cloud, and infrastructure, with dedicated mandates for security.

• Intel Capital
  • Focus: Silicon-level security, cloud infrastructure protection, enterprise SaaS, and AI-heavy security pipelines.
  • Context: One of the longest-running and most consistently active corporate venture programs in the tech industry, frequently backing critical hardware-software security bridges.
• Cisco Investments
  • Focus: Network security, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), cloud security, and threat intelligence.
  • Context: Operates with a massive global portfolio, utilizing its CVC arm to seamlessly bridge early-stage cybersecurity startups with Cisco’s enterprise sales channels.

If you're looking to pitch or partner with these funds, let me know:

• What stage is your startup (Seed, Series A/B)?
• What is your core focus area (Identity, Cloud, Endpoint, AI Security)?

I can help you tailor your approach to the right strategic investor.

If by CVCs you mean corporate venture capital firms that are particularly relevant to cybersecurity startups, the landscape is fairly concentrated. Based on recent cyber-investment activity, I’d put the following at the top of the list.

Top cybersecurity CVCs

A useful quantitative sanity check is Momentum Cyber's 2025 year-end data: among corporate investors in cybersecurity, Intel Capital led with 80 deals, GV had 73, Dell Technologies Capital 72, Salesforce Ventures 65, Cisco 64, Citi Ventures 53, and M12 52.

An earlier U.S. cyber landscape study similarly identified M12, GV, Intel Capital, Cisco Investments and Accenture Ventures as the top five U.S. cybersecurity-focused CVCs.

My strategic ranking

If you're asking because you're raising a cybersecurity round, I would think about them slightly differently than simply ranking by deal count:

1. Cisco Investments — probably one of the best strategic investors if your product touches network/security infrastructure. Cisco has demonstrated that its investment activity can connect directly to acquisitions; its corporate-development organization cites investments and acquisitions across cybersecurity, and Cisco has continued making security acquisitions in 2026.
2. M12 — excellent if you're building around Microsoft/Azure/Entra/Sentinel or AI security. M12's current thesis explicitly includes Security for AI.
3. GV — excellent brand, network and access to Google/Alphabet; particularly attractive for frontier security and AI/security companies.
4. Intel Capital — enormous historical cybersecurity footprint and particularly valuable for infrastructure, hardware, AI and edge.
5. Dell Technologies Capital — very strong for enterprise infrastructure/security and data-center-adjacent companies.
6. Okta Ventures — disproportionately valuable if you're in identity, IAM, authorization or zero trust.
7. Salesforce Ventures — particularly interesting for enterprise SaaS/security and data/AI security.
8. Citi Ventures / Capital One Ventures — move these much higher if you're doing fraud, fintech security, identity or financial infrastructure.

One important distinction: CVC activity isn't necessarily the same thing as strategic value. For example, M12 may be a better investor for a cloud-security startup than a CVC with more historical cyber deals, because Microsoft can potentially provide distribution, Azure integration and enterprise relationships. M12 explicitly says it invests from seed through Series B and leverages Microsoft's resources.

If you tell me what type of cybersecurity company you're evaluating (e.g. AI security, identity, cloud security, SOC/SIEM, data security, application security, OT/IoT, fraud), I can give you a ranked top 10 CVC target list with specific partners, relevant portfolio companies, typical stage/check size, and likely strategic value.

My strategic ranking

If you're asking because you're raising a cybersecurity round, I would think about them slightly differently than simply ranking by deal count: