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YL Ventures is a prominent venture capital firm founded in 2022, headquartered in New York, with a specialized focus on early-stage investments in the cybersecurity sector. With assets under management totaling $800 million across five funds, YL Ventures has established itself as a key player in the venture capital landscape, particularly noted for its concentrated approach to seed investments. The firm has been recognized as the only cybersecurity-focused VC in PitchBook's top 10 for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024, and was named a TIME Magazine Top US VC in 2025. YL Ventures has a robust portfolio comprising 69 companies, including notable unicorns such as Axonius and Orca Security. The firm emphasizes investments in Israeli founders who are innovating core security infrastructure, leveraging a network of over 100 Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) from Fortune 100 companies to validate customer needs and provide product feedback. This strategic positioning allows YL Ventures to maintain a disciplined technical approach, ensuring that their portfolio companies are well-equipped to meet the evolving challenges in cybersecurity.
YL Ventures maintains a concentrated investment focus on seed-stage cybersecurity startups, with an average seed check size of approximately $9.99 million. The firm has a unique investment thesis that emphasizes Israeli cybersecurity innovation, targeting sectors such as application security, data loss prevention, cloud security, and identity management. Their portfolio consists of 31 seed investments and 4 Series A investments, reflecting a strategic preference for early-stage companies that demonstrate potential for significant growth. YL Ventures actively seeks out founders who are building core security infrastructure and are capable of addressing pressing security challenges across various environments, including SaaS, cloud, and on-premises systems. The firm’s extensive network of CISOs provides invaluable customer validation and product feedback, which is integral to the success of their portfolio companies. By focusing exclusively on cybersecurity, YL Ventures positions itself as a leader in this niche market, ensuring that their investments are not only financially sound but also contribute to the advancement of security technologies.
YL Ventures boasts a diverse portfolio of 69 companies, with notable investments including unicorns such as Axonius and Orca Security. The firm has successfully facilitated exits for several companies, including Twistlock, which was acquired by Palo Alto Networks, and Spera, which was acquired by Okta. Recent investments include Opti, which received a $20 million seed round in 2025, and Hush Security, also set to launch in 2025. The firm’s portfolio reflects a strong commitment to supporting innovative cybersecurity solutions that address critical security needs in the market. With a disciplined investment strategy and a focus on early product-market fit validation, YL Ventures continues to nurture companies that are poised for success in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape.
Yoav Leitersdorf - Managing Partner: Yoav has extensive experience in the cybersecurity sector and leads the firm's investment strategy. Rami Banna - Partner: Rami focuses on identifying and supporting innovative cybersecurity startups, leveraging his background in technology and business development.
To pitch YL Ventures, founders should visit their website for more information on submission guidelines. The firm values detailed presentations that clearly articulate the startup's vision, market potential, and how they plan to leverage customer feedback for product development.
YL Ventures has made significant strides in the venture capital landscape, recently being recognized as a TIME Magazine Top US VC in 2025. The firm has actively invested in five companies over the last twelve months, including notable recent investments in Opti and Hush Security, both set to launch in 2025.
YL Ventures primarily invests in seed, Series A, and Series B stages, with a strong emphasis on seed-stage investments in cybersecurity startups.
Founders interested in pitching YL Ventures should prepare a detailed presentation that highlights their innovative cybersecurity solutions, market potential, and how they leverage customer validation. Specific pitch submission guidelines are not provided, so reaching out via their website is recommended.
YL Ventures focuses exclusively on the cybersecurity sector, investing in areas such as application security, data loss prevention, cloud security, and identity management.
The average check size for seed investments by YL Ventures is approximately $9.99 million, reflecting their commitment to supporting early-stage cybersecurity startups.
YL Ventures has a geographic focus that includes Europe, Israel, and the United States, allowing them to tap into diverse markets for cybersecurity innovation.
YL Ventures offers extensive support to its portfolio companies, including access to a network of over 100 CISOs for customer validation, go-to-market strategies, and talent acquisition assistance.
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