build.security, delivering the first dedicated Authorization Policy Management platform, raised a $6M seed round led by YL Ventures together with CrowdStrike CEO and Co-founder George Kurtz, Michael Sutton (former CISO of Zscaler), Sounil Yu (former Chief Security Scientist at BofA), Dan Amiga (Fireglass CTO and Co-founder, acquired by Symantec), Eyal Gruner (CEO and Co-founder of Cynet), and Eran Barak (Hexadite CEO and Co-founder, acquired by Microsoft). CrowdStrike CPO Amol Kulkarni has joined build.security’s board of directors. Read our Partner John Brennan’s blog post about the announcement.
We had the pleasure of participating in fascinating discussions about the future of the cybersecurity industry throughout a number of high-profile and exciting conferences! We invite you to watch the recordings here:
Timing and source count for a lot in the sales process. With traditional marketing, it's hard to know when we're reaching out about a problem our audience cares about, at the time when they care about it. That's why the best way to keep a solution top of mind is with a timely peer endorsement.
When I see challenges that I think we should pay someone to solve, the first thing I'll do is ask my peers for recommendations. I'll generally reach out to every single one of those companies to start a conversation. Vendors should create a network of customer advocates to maximize their chances of getting the right referral at the right time—be sure to invest in customer success, be transparent around failure, ensure your sales and marketing are providing value and not just driving fear, avoid transactional dealings and foster long term customer relationships. If you can build that loyal base of customers who sing your praises, it will earn you the right to be at the table when those customers' peers are solving similar problems.
YL Ventures funds and supports brilliant Israeli tech entrepreneurs from seed to lead. Based in Silicon Valley and Tel Aviv, YL Ventures manages over $300 million and specializes in cybersecurity. YL Ventures accelerates the evolution of portfolio companies via strategic advice and U.S.-based operational execution, leveraging a powerful network of Chief Information Security Officers and global industry leaders.