Strategic Cyber Ventures (SCV) is a Washington, DC–based early-stage venture capital firm focused exclusively on cybersecurity and cyber-adjacent technologies. SCV positions itself as a first-check, thesis-driven investor, backing companies that address national security, enterprise security, and critical infrastructure risks.

Pre-Seed: Core focus — often the first institutional capital into the company.
Seed: Actively leads or co-leads seed rounds.
Series A: Selective follow-on participation in top-performing portfolio companies.

Typical Check Size: $500K–$2M at pre-seed and seed; follow-on checks may be larger.
Equity Taken:
• SCV does not publish a fixed ownership requirement, but as a lead cyber-focused seed fund, it typically targets meaningful minority ownership.
• Founder-side expectations:
– Pre-Seed: ~7%–12% ownership, depending on valuation and how early SCV engages.
– Seed (Lead): Commonly 10%–20% ownership, consistent with lead-seed VC norms.
• SCV is not a passive signal investor; ownership levels are aligned with active involvement and long-term partnership.
Equity Structure: Primarily priced preferred equity; SAFEs or notes used selectively at very early stages.
Governance: Frequently seeks board seats or board observer rights in lead investments.

Submission Method: Direct outreach via SCV’s website or warm introductions through cybersecurity operators, founders, and government-adjacent networks.
Founder Access: Strong preference for direct founder engagement, especially for teams with deep cyber domain expertise.

Sector Focus: Cybersecurity, cloud security, identity, zero trust, threat intelligence, privacy, data security, cyber-physical systems, and dual-use cyber tech.
 Geography: Primarily U.S.-based companies, often with relevance to regulated industries or national security environments.
Stage: Pre-seed and seed, with clear technical depth and early customer signal.
Team: Strong preference for founders with prior cyber, intelligence, defense, or enterprise security backgrounds.

Initial Screen: Cyber thesis fit, technical differentiation, and founder credibility.
 Partner Deep Dive: Product architecture, threat model relevance, and market positioning.
 Diligence: Customer validation, technical review, references, and competitive analysis.
 Term Sheet & Close: Institutional VC process with cyber-specific diligence rigor.

Lead Capital: Anchor or lead checks that define early rounds.
 Cyber Expertise: Hands-on guidance from investors deeply embedded in the cyber ecosystem.
 Network Access: Introductions to CISOs, federal agencies, defense primes, and downstream cyber VCs.
 Follow-On Support: Capital and positioning for strong Series A outcomes.