Making AI Headlines · Page 7
Ballistic Seeks $490 Million, Because Digital Risk Has a Fundraising Department
· New York time
Cybersecurity venture firm Ballistic Ventures is seeking $490 million across two new funds, according to US regulatory filings. The San Francisco firm is targeting $360 million for its third flagship fund and $130 million for a separate vehicle, Ballistic Ventures Fund B. Neither fund had recorded sales at the time of filing. The proposed flagship matches the size of the firm's previous fund, raised in 2024. Ballistic, co-founded by former Kleiner Perkins partner Ted Schlein, focuses on cybersecurity, a field drawing attention as organizations expand their use of AI and consider associated security risks. The filing is a fundraising plan, not evidence that the full amount has been collected. That distinction is particularly important when a large target can look finished simply because it fits neatly into a headline. Investors still have to commit money, and the firm's eventual investments will have to find their own way in the market. The business proposition is familiar: as organizations worry about new digital risks, companies selling protection may find more customers. Venture investors would like to identify those companies early. The uncomfortable comedy is that an industry promising revolutionary convenience also creates a lively market for guarding the revolution. AI may speed up office work, but it has not made the security budget disappear.
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