Holly Ventures announced the launch of its $33 million debut fund, a solo-led cybersecurity vehicle built around a simple idea that for early-stage cyber start-ups, access and value matter more than capital.
Founded by John Brennan, formerly a Senior Partner at YL Ventures, Holly Ventures is positioned as a counter-model to the large cybersecurity platforms. Instead of competing on fund size or AI-driven messaging, the firm focuses on day zero, the stage when founders need direct access to the decision-maker and flexibility in how they structure their cap tables.
Founders often choose between the brand power of large platforms and the sector focus of smaller funds. Holly Ventures aims to offer both by providing a targeted investment that preserves cap-table optionality and hands-on involvement that is 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 Ventures, 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.
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 and participates alongside larger leads in typical $5–10 million rounds. Of its first six investments, two have already advanced to Series A, and each round has been led by top-tier U.S. or Israeli firms. This highlights Holly Ventures’ role as a collaborative partner rather than a competitor.
Lead investors in these rounds include Index Ventures, Notable Capital, Team8, Cyberstarts, Sequoia, General Catalyst and Foundation Capital.
Brennan’s experience across 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 insights. His work with founders spans board preparation, executive hiring, customer strategy and serving as the first person they call when challenges 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.”