Cybersecurity-focused venture capital firm Ballistic Ventures announced that recently-retired U.S. Army General and former National Security Agency (NSA) Director Paul M. Nakasone has joined the firm as a Strategic Advisor.
In his advisory role, Ballistic says Nakasone will assess the firm’s investments and offer strategic support to portfolio companies.
“General Nakasone is uniquely familiar with the most pressing national security threats facing the U.S. today. His incredible leadership skills and mission-driven work, honed throughout his decades-long career, will be highly valuable for our entrepreneurs as they scale their organizations,” said Ted Schlein, co-founder and general partner at Ballistic Ventures. “General Nakasone’s keen ability to bridge the private and public sector gaps make him one of the most respected individuals in Silicon Valley, Washington and beyond, and we’re honored to have his support here at Ballistic.”
Ballistic Ventures was co-founded in 2021 by Kevin Mandia and General Partners Barmak Meftah, Ted Schlein, Jake Seid and Roger Thornton.
In March 2024, Ballistic’s closed its $360 million oversubscribed second fund.
The Ballistic portfolio currently includes Aembit, Alethea, ArmorCode, AuthMind, Codezero, Concentric AI, Nudge Security, Oligo Security, Pangea, Perygee, Reach Security, SpecterOps, Talon (acquired by Palo Alto Networks), GetReal Labs, MIMIC, WitnessAI, and Veza.
General Nakasone, who retired in early 2024, served as Commander, USCYBERCOM and Director, NSA/CSS since May 2018, taking the helm after the retirement of Admiral Mike Rogers as it ascended to the status of a unified combatant command.
Under General Nakasone’s leadership, the NSA established the unclassified Cybersecurity Collaboration Center and announced the formation of the Artificial Intelligence Security Center in September 2023.
“Throughout my career, I learned very quickly that partnerships between the public and private sectors can never be understated,” said Gen. Nakasone. “I’m thrilled to join Ballistic and work alongside the firm’s leadership, whom I know are experts in understanding cyber challenges from a national security perspective and as former cyber operators. I look forward to joining this team to work more closely with the entrepreneurs who are driving innovation and strengthening our cyber defenses.”
In June, Nakasone joined the Board of Directors at artificial intelligence giant OpenAI, along with the Board’s Safety and Security Committee that was announced in late May.
General Timothy D. Haugh assumed command of NSA and USCYBERCOM on February 2, 2024, taking over the role from Nakasone.
