“The CMF team helped us land a large enterprise deal, introduced us to one of our key board of advisors, and also introduced us to our VP of product. When it came time to raise a series A… [they] introduced us to our leading investors. We almost had a daily cadence during closing of the deal.”
Mission & Values
Remaining humble, disciplined, and true to the entrepreneurial spirit, we see success as a team sport. We work hard together, fighting shoulder to shoulder, with everyone in our community. We understand the journey is part of the reward and expect the same disciplined drive from our portfolio companies to our Limited Partners and beyond. CMF leverages a focused community-centered approach and works with the most impactful leaders, operators, and VCs in cybersecurity, building a unique coalition around each portfolio company that drives the most direct line to growth.
Created by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, CMF backs the most robust and innovative security solutions aimed to make enterprises and governments more secure online. When our companies win, everyone wins.
What We Do
CMF IS THE LEADING CYBERSECURITY MENTORSHIP FUND
A Mentorship Fund functions as a community-centered program that surrounds early-stage companies with hands-on mentoring. By providing the entrepreneurs and their startups with a coalition of active entrepreneurs and operational luminaries, Mentorship Funds are better positioned to bring differentiated mentorship tailored to each company’s individual needs. Successful Mentorship Funds work together with entrepreneurs to properly scale their businesses and provide access to the industry knowledge they need to flourish.
To succeed as a Mentorship Fund, CMF dedicates money, aggressive effort, and our community of visionaries to mentor the next-generation of cybersecurity leaders.
MENTOR
CMF works fast to help our portfolio grow. We mentor before and after funding, mapping entrepreneurs to methods, processes, and industry experts that will provide the biggest impact from day one.
CONNECT
CMF knows the synergy of community yields the largest impact. We leverage our global network of 50+ advisors, limited partners, friendly early adopting practitioners, and industry luminaries to support, educate, and promote the portfolio.
DISRUPT
CMF invests to fill the gaps within cybersecurity by betting on entrepreneurs who have a drive towards disruption and operate as continuous learners. By supporting these special entrepreneurs and their emerging novel technologies, we are pushing the limits of cybersecurity solutions.
Hear first hand from who we’ve helped
“Proofpoint was my acquirer, but that would have never happened if twelve months before the acquisition, Tim hadn’t made a personal introduction.”
“Tim has given me some great advice, some great coaching and mentorship, and that’s not only benefited me, but it has had a huge impact across the company as well.”
“Tim and I have met every Sunday for many years, talking about the ins and outs of the problems and the issues being faced in a small but growing company, and that’s been completely invaluable to me.”
“From our first meeting, we could tell that they were different. They knew who we were, they understood what we were building, who it was for, why they would love it. As soon as they saw our vision and our hustle, they dived in to help with everything else.”
“[CMF] understands the space very well and can guide us both from the product side and the messaging side…as a first time CEO, it’s great to have CMF at your side for the vast operational experience to help you, and to mentor you as you grow the company.”
“[CMF was] incredibly helpful with our Series A. They helped connect us with a number of potential investors. They helped us through the process and eventually, our round was oversubscribed.”
“CMF provided us with decisive mentoring when we needed it most… Tim and Joe got us through a tough time leading to a successful financing… They frequently engaged with the board, were first to commit to participate in the funding, and even helped us with key contracts.”
“CMF provided excellent access to security thought leaders in the space and made introductions to 10 pilot customers who are giving us the feedback needed to bring an impactful solution to the market.”
“Having Tim on our board provided valuable insights, mentorship, and advice. The strategic advice Cyber Mentor Fund gave us provided us alternative growth solutions, allowing us to grow faster.”
CMF Catapult Program
Our Catapult Program uniquely offers hands-on mentorship, strategic partnerships, and disciplined operational expertise, helping startups accelerate through the early-stage minefield of going to market. With the support of our network of industry luminaries and early adopting practitioners, the program is designed to catapult startups to the next stage of business development with a three phase approach: Ready, Aim, Launch.
Cyber Mentor Fund takes pride in the entrepreneurial experience because that is who we are. As Fellow Founders, we have experienced and identified the inefficiency of bringing cybersecurity startups to market. We are also active operators who engage with enterprise customers on a daily basis and know what it takes to win. These perspectives and key industry insights helped us create a disciplined, insightful, and hardcore investment and mentorship model.
Our Companies
CMF is proud to invest in game changing companies that are solving real and urgent problems that haven’t been addressed, leading to a critical impact on the security integrity of enterprises and governments.
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Summary:
allows organizations to create their own private networks, connecting all users, devices, and services with the industry’s first Secure Global-LAN.
Website: ananda.net
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Summary:
transforms existing compliance-focused risk assessment into an effective, enterprise-wide security evaluation.
Website: blue-lava.ne
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Summary:
is an artificial intelligence powered zero day brand protection that puts an end to counterfeit websites targeting your brand.
Website: bolster.ai
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Summary:
brings together new technologies, data science, and specialized underwriting to go beyond protection to predict, prevent, and respond to SME’s risks of today and tomorrow.
Website: cyberboxx.ca
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Summary:
solves complex AI risks for national security and highly-regulated industries.
Website: calypsoai.com
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Summary:
accelerates the global trust economy and simplifying the hiring process with a human risk intelligence solution.
Website: certn.co
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Summary:
protects trade secrets, intellectual property, and client data against negligent users and malicious insiders.
Website: cyberhaven.io
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Summary:
offers autonomous attack surface testing to find blind spots and mitigate exposed attack vectors.
Website: cycognito.com
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Summary:
protects businesses and their customers from unauthorized account access, data leakage, and identity fraud.
Website: www.deduce.com/
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Summary:
manages social media risk for regulated industries.
Website: deepview.com
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Summary:
passively identifies assets and communications, detects industrial cyber security threats through behavioral analytics, and provides security teams with guided investigation and response.
Website: dragos.com
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Summary:
closes the last gap in data security by protecting Data in Use.
Website: enveil.com
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Summary:
understands cyber adversary infrastructure and communication to that infrastructure.
Website: hyas.com
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Summary:
investigates, automates and scales threat hunting and investigation, eliminating investigative backlogs and prioritization bias to dramatically reduce dwell time and risk.
Website: kognos.io
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Summary:
harnesses artificial intelligence to stop social engineering and human identity attacks.
ACQUIRED BY MIMECAST
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Summary:
ensures the appropriate data access controls are in place to meet the evolving data privacy landscape of multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments.
Website: okera.com
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Summary:
combines robust cyber security tools with broad insurance coverage to secure the SMB.
Website: meetpaladin.com
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Summary:
enables insurance providers to scale their cyber line of business using curated security data for accuracy, AI for advanced risk assessment, and workflow automation for efficiency.
Website: resilienceinsurance.com
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Summary:
identifies and visualizes the human risk within an organization, and recommends tailored security awareness programs for employees to reduces the number of security incidents.
Website: securityadvisor.io
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Summary:
a no-code, risk-defense layer to unify people, data, and technology in the fight against cybercrime.
Website: spec-trust.com
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Summary:
provides continuous insight into status, vulnerabilities, and threats, enabling operators to more effectively see, know, and take action to defend industrial systems and protect critical infrastructure.
Website: synsaber.com
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Summary:
the data backbone for third party and merchant risk assessments
Website: templarbit.com
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CMF invests in some kick-ass companies, a few of which are remaining in stealth mode.
Community
The synergy between CMF’s strong community of disciplined innovators and our deep industry expertise allows us to provide the largest impact to our portfolio and disrupt the future of cybersecurity.
Bi-annual visits to AWS, Azure, VMWare and others, helps form a close relationship with leading infrastructure and cloud providers. CMF founders gain an inside understanding and supportive role within the ecosystem.
Infrastructure & Platform Days
Bi-annual visits to AWS, Azure, VMWare and others, helps form a close relationship with leading infrastructure and cloud providers. CMF founders gain an inside understanding and supportive role within the ecosystem.
CMF hosts industry executives, early adopters, and thought leaders alongside our portfolio for exclusive, high-end networking dinners. These intimate events provide an opportunity for our founders to grow as entrepreneurs, learn market needs, and showcase their domain expertise.
Global Executive Dinners
CMF hosts industry executives, early adopters, and thought leaders alongside our portfolio for exclusive, high-end networking dinners. These intimate events provide an opportunity for our founders to grow as entrepreneurs, learn market needs, and showcase their domain expertise.
CMF puts on high-profile events surrounding most cybersecurity conferences and conventions. We bring together industry visionaries, executives, and trusted customers to join in on panel conversations and networking lunches. In conjunction with a high-profile panel, the CMF portfolio is showcased through elevator pitches and product demos.
Cybersecurity Conventions & Showcase Opportunities
CMF puts on high-profile events surrounding most cybersecurity conferences and conventions. We bring together industry visionaries, executives, and trusted customers to join in on panel conversations and networking lunches. In conjunction with a high-profile panel, the CMF portfolio is showcased through elevator pitches and product demos.
We bring together the CMF community for high-value happy hours, fire-side chats, and other internal growth focused events. By creating an intimate setting, our founders can promote innovation as a company and get unique mentorship to the needs of the market and insights to their target buyers and users.
Founder + Market Leader Events
We bring together the CMF community for high-value happy hours, fire-side chats, and other internal growth focused events. By creating an intimate setting, our founders can promote innovation as a company and get unique mentorship to the needs of the market and insights to their target buyers and users.
By hosting misfit webinars and podcasts, we offer an opportunity to promote portfolio domain expertise towards extended marketplaces, both nationally and internationally. Our uniquely structured public facing misfit events build industry trust and thought leadership in our community, our founders, and their products.
Misfit Events
By hosting misfit webinars and podcasts, we offer an opportunity to promote portfolio domain expertise towards extended marketplaces, both nationally and internationally. Our uniquely structured public facing misfit events build industry trust and thought leadership in our community, our founders, and their products.
CMF Podcast
The CMF podcast discusses all things mentorship and cybersecurity. Featuring early-stage cybersecurity entrepreneurs from our portfolio, industry experts, and thought leaders from around the world.
12.03.20
Navigating Cybersecurity Start-Up Sales in the age of a Distributed Workforce
| As per the misfit way, we’ll cut to the chase and highlight how security startups can best attack the changed budgets. Our panel of misfit leaders will tell you exactly what works: how to sell, who to sell to, and what corporate cyber leaders need right now. |
01.21.21
People, Processes, and Product: A Misfit Look at the Cybersecurity Trends of 2021
| The panel of misfit thinkers will look into the mistakes of histories past and present, and will be brutally honest how to stay ahead of the curve and prepare for the people, process, and product trends that are expected to shape 2021. |
09.24.20
Cybersecurity Budgets in the Age of the Distributed Workforce
This panel of misfit thinkers and budget handlers will look at what in security spending and budget allocation has been broken, where organizations are still engaging with innovative technology, and how budget handlers get shit done, fast.
download resource02.25.20
CMF Presents: Early Adopter Meet Early Thinkers
A networking breakfast with a panel of high-powered security executives discussing the impact of early stage technology adoption. Offering insights to start-ups and security entrepreneurs looking to get involved with their first customers and executive offices and enterprises exploring early technology.
download resource read more06.03.20
Misfits + The State of Cybersecurity
| Our panel of misfit CISOs and industry thought leaders will offer insights into their top of mind security concerns, why and where they will continue to adopt innovative, early technology, their pivoted priorities due to COVID impact, and will give advice to security entrepreneurs looking to get break into the market in this new environment. |
Live Tweets
Continuing the conversation from a webinar on how to accelerate your #ICS #OT cybersecurity program, hosted by Dragos with @EMR_Automation and @McAfee, this blog breaks down the complexities & nuances in bridging the IT/OT #cybersecurity gap: https://t.co/ZB8W4mmdJ2
.@TechCrunch spoke with our CEO & Co-founder @Rob_Gurz about our recent funding, projected company growth, and what differentiates our #attacksurface management approach from the rest. Read the article by @Ron_Miller here: https://t.co/IuWY24dIIT
#EASM #attacksurfacemanagement
Thank you for joining us on this journey 🚀
Thrilled to announce our investment in CyCognito. Congratulations @CyCognito and welcome to the Thomvest Ventures family!
https://t.co/zVOeOLUSjw
In this post @Rob_Gurz, CyCognito CEO and Co-founder, reflects on our journey to reshape how organizations protect their #attacksurface, and how our US$100M Series C funding will help us accelerate that journey: https://t.co/TkbaYB8z6P
#EASM #attacksurfacemanagement
We're making final preparations before heading to Phoenix for #DoDIIS21. If you'll be there, let's connect! Reach out to schedule a meeting or find us at Booth 737 for a demo of how we're using #PrivacyEnhancingTechnologies to enable Trusted Compute in Untrusted Locations.
Intel 471 and Kognos Join Forces to Maximize Threat Intelligence for the Hunt.
https://t.co/HDRsvLs8a2
