ABOUT
CISO Ventures is the cybersecurity community arm of Whiteboard Venture Partners. We connect cybersecurity leaders with the founders building the next wave of security products.
The fund invests. The community introduces, vets, and accelerates. Same parent organization, two different jobs.
Membership is invite-only and free. CISOs, VPs, and Directors of Security apply through a short form. Founders apply through a separate form. Approved members receive an invite to the regional WhatsApp community for their audience — one for cybersecurity leaders, a separate one for founders.
When a founder pitches, we route warm introductions to relevant CISOs based on stage, category, and mutual interest. No cold outreach. No mass blast. Vetted in advance, on both sides.
Our parent fund. Whiteboard Venture Partners is a cybersecurity-focused early-stage venture firm. Whiteboard writes the first check for security founders before the deck is finished — backed by the network of ethical CISOs we’ve built around the firm.
CISO Ventures is one of three peer networks Whiteboard cultivates, alongside Rutgers Ventures (alumni operators backing Scarlet Knight founders) and Parents Ventures (operator-parents building for families). Each network thickens deal flow and post-investment support; none is a separate fund.
CISO Ventures is operated by Abhijit Solanki, Managing Partner of Whiteboard Venture Partners. Most recently led Strategic Alliances and Business Development at Proofpoint. Before that: a $100M+ security product portfolio turnaround at Symantec, cybersecurity investment lead at NexStar Partners, Strategy & Corporate Development at VMware, started in McKinsey’s tech practice. The deal screen is operator-grade because the operator history is real.
The community didn’t appear from nowhere. These are some of the people who’ve helped shape it — through honest feedback, warm introductions, and showing up to the early dinners. We keep them private here; you’ll meet them when you join.
Email [email protected], or grab time on the calendar. We respond to every email.