A New Beginning
For years, security has been in the background and back channels of technology, a highly technical topic managed by the very few, highly technical minds who know the language or, in many cases, designed it.
But today, security is prevalent for everyone, from consumers to businesses, government to private sector, and in all parts of the globe. We face it everywhere in our digital lives. And yet, that small community of influential, technical security minds has not grown in kind. The people who can truly design and build systems to safeguard us from all the threats out there are still few.
There has not been a venture capital firm that has exclusively focused on security. And yet security is unlike every other tech sector. You can’t hire five part-time engineers to develop a security app in two months and stumble upon a hit. You need deep expertise, intricate knowledge, and many cycles of hard work to build something that can serve as the first line, last line, or all lines of protection. Because of these unique characteristics and the ever-growing need for security, I believe the time is overdue for a specialized focus on security in venture capital.
I have been fortunate enough to receive counsel and guidance from many patriarchs and leaders in the technology industry throughout my career. The suggestions they made or even doors they opened led to exciting stints at places like Robertson Stephens, PeopleSoft and PGP Corporation, the last of which shaped my background and skill set for this opportunity more than anywhere else.
It is my hope through Ten Eleven Ventures that we can provide counsel and connections to some of tomorrow’s brilliant security entrepreneurs much like those opportunities were afforded to us. Because we’ve been in the security domain for so long, we have relationships with many of the ‘influential few.’ This should be a uniquely compelling asset to the companies in which we invest.
There is brilliant security technology being developed around the world, in Silicon Valley and beyond, and we intend to support that innovation no matter where it happens.
We will have a presence in Boston, a prime security start-up ecosystem, as well as Silicon Valley, but we will look for opportunities globally.
In the coming weeks and months, we will have much more to say and many people to thank, but for now, I appreciate your support and look forward to years of interesting dialogue and development.
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