Holly Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on cybersecurity. Launched by John Brennan, the firm was created to back founders at the earliest point of ideation, often before a company is fully formed. Holly Ventures is built around access, trust, and deep founder support, positioning itself as a hands-on partner for technical teams tackling core security problems from day one.
The firm invests in cybersecurity startups at the very beginning of their journey. Holly Ventures concentrates on foundational security categories, including identity and access security, privileged access management, security data platforms, exposure management, endpoint security, cyber resilience, and network security. The fund targets founders building core infrastructure and products that address real enterprise security pain points.
Holly Ventures launched its debut fund, Holly Ventures I, with $33 million in committed capital. The fund is purpose-built to invest at the ideation, pre-seed, and seed stages, backing cybersecurity founders before traditional venture firms engage.
Fund I is already deployed across six portfolio companies, all currently operating in stealth mode. The fund follows a concentrated strategy, prioritizing deep engagement over volume and providing founders with early access to customers, design partners, and senior security operators. Holly Ventures I is structured to lead early rounds and support companies through their first major inflection points, with strong connectivity to top-tier later-stage cybersecurity investors.
Leadership
Holly Ventures is led by John Brennan, Founder and Managing Partner. Brennan brings deep experience from the cybersecurity ecosystem, including close collaboration with founders, CISOs, and leading venture firms. His background includes extensive exposure to the Israeli and US cybersecurity markets, shaping a global but tightly focused investment approach.
Investment Strategy
The firm’s strategy centers on being a first believer. Holly Ventures partners with founders at ideation or company formation, helping shape product direction, early hiring, and design partnerships. The fund emphasizes high-touch support, direct access to experienced security leaders, and close collaboration with later-stage investors to set companies up for long-term success.
Notable Investments
The firm has invested in six early-stage cybersecurity startups spanning identity security, security data management, exposure management, endpoint security, cyber resilience, and network security, though company names have not yet been publicly disclosed due to stealth status.
Notable Exits
No exits have been reported to date, as the fund is newly launched and focused on early-stage company building.
Other
Holly Ventures is highly specialized and founder-centric. The firm is best suited for cybersecurity teams seeking an early partner with deep domain knowledge, strong ecosystem access, and the willingness to engage before there is market consensus.
Holly Ventures places a strong emphasis on long-term relationships and early trust.
United States
