18 physical security investors backing access control and surveillance in 2026

Physical security is finally getting the software-first treatment it deserves. Access control, video surveillance, and perimeter security are moving from proprietary hardware to cloud platforms with APIs. Investors closed deals worth over $800M in this space from 2025 to early 2026. The shift from on-premise systems to managed services creates recurring revenue models that VCs actually understand.

Quick list

Picking the right physical security investor

Experience: Find investors who've backed companies through hardware-to-software transitions. Physical security startups face different challenges than pure SaaS, especially when managing sensitive systems that require strong security.

Network: Check if they can intro you to commercial real estate operators and enterprise security teams. That matters more than brand names, especially for startups selling into slower-moving industries

Alignment: Make sure they've funded hardware-enabled businesses before. Pure software VCs often don't understand gross margins on devices and installation costs.

Track record: Look at whether their portfolio companies raised follow-on rounds. Dead portfolio companies are a red flag, and this is where understanding investor patterns through document analytics can help you gauge real engagement.

Communication: Use Ellty to share your deck with trackable links. You'll see who actually opens your financial projections vs. just skimming the product screenshots - something made far easier with our platform.

Value-add: Ask what operational support they provide during hardware manufacturing and supply chain issues. Generic “we have a great network” answers are useless, especially when you need timely investor updates.

How to approach physical security investors

Identify potential investors: Research recent deals on Pitchbook or Crunchbase focusing on building tech and IoT security. Seed funds won't lead your Series B, no matter how good your deck is, so prioritize firms active in startup fundraising.

Craft a compelling pitch: Show unit economics per door or per camera deployed. Most investors are tired of security pitches without clear payback periods on hardware.

Share your pitch deck: Upload to Ellty and send trackable links. Monitor which pages investors spend time on. If they skip your go-to-market slides, that's useful information.

Utilize your network: Message portfolio founders on LinkedIn and ask about response times and actual value-add during supply chain disruptions. Most will be honest. Protect your materials with password protection before sharing.

Attend networking events: Commercial Real Estate Tech Summit and ISC West are where deals actually happen. Skip the small local security conferences.

Engage on online platforms: Connect with partners on LinkedIn after you've been introduced. Cold DMs rarely work unless you have a warm intro from a portfolio company.

Organize due diligence: Set up an Ellty data room with your financial model, cap table, and hardware supply agreements before they ask. It speeds up the process.

Set up introductory meetings: Lead with your customer acquisition cost and lifetime value for enterprise accounts. Don't waste 20 minutes on market size slides they've seen 100 times.

Why physical security needs better tech now

Commercial real estate is pushing for unified platforms instead of managing five different security vendors. The 2025-2026 shift toward hybrid work made building operators rethink access control entirely. Legacy systems from companies like Honeywell and Johnson Controls can't integrate with modern building management platforms. Startups that offer APIs and mobile-first experiences are closing enterprise deals faster than expected. Insurance companies are also starting to require smart security systems for coverage, which accelerates adoption.

18 top physical security investors

1. Andreessen Horowitz

They led Verkada's Series D and understand that physical security is becoming a data platform business.

• Recent Deals: Verkada $205M Series D (2025), Flock Safety $150M Series E (2024)
• LinkedIn: Marc Andreessen
• Sector Focus: Enterprise SaaS, Cloud Infrastructure, AI, Security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Series D
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: a16z.com

2. Felicis

Early believers in mobile-first access control before it was obvious that key cards were dead.

• Recent Deals: Openpath Series C $57M (2025), PDK (acquired by Verkada)
• LinkedIn: Aydin Senkut
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, IoT, Smart Building, Access Control
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: felicis.com

3. Costanoa Ventures

They backed Rhombus when cloud video surveillance was still considered risky for enterprises.

• Recent Deals: Rhombus Systems $56M total raised (Series B 2024), Arcules $20M Series B (2023)
• LinkedIn: Greg Sands
• Sector Focus: Cloud Infrastructure, Video Analytics, IoT Security
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Palo Alto, USA
• Website: costanoavc.com

4. Bessemer Venture Partners

They understand recurring revenue from managed access control services for commercial real estate.

• Recent Deals: Kastle Systems growth investment (2025), Brivo expansion capital (2024)
• LinkedIn: Byron Deeter
• Sector Focus: Cloud Software, Vertical SaaS, PropTech, Security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: bvp.com

5. Sequoia Capital

Invested in Deep Sentinel's live monitoring service when most VCs thought security needed to be AI-only.

• Recent Deals: Deep Sentinel $25M Series B (2024), alarm.com partnerships
• LinkedIn: Roelof Botha
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Consumer, AI, Security Platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: sequoiacap.com

6. Insight Partners

They led Brivo's round because they saw the shift from perpetual licenses to cloud subscriptions in access control.

• Recent Deals: Brivo $50M growth round (2024), Genetec investment (2023)
• LinkedIn: Jeff Horing
• Sector Focus: SaaS, Security Software, Vertical Software, Growth Stage
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth, Late Stage
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: insightpartners.com

7. Sapphire Ventures

Corporate VC that understands enterprise sales cycles for physical security software.

• Recent Deals: Omnigo Software $35M Series C (2024), public safety platforms
• LinkedIn: Jai Das
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Security Management, Compliance
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Location: Palo Alto, USA
• Website: sapphireventures.com

8. Industrious Ventures

They focus on industrial security where most VCs don't bother looking.

• Recent Deals: Perimeter security startups, industrial IoT sensors (2025)
• LinkedIn: Industrious Ventures
• Sector Focus: Industrial IoT, Perimeter Security, Manufacturing, Infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Boston, USA
• Website: industrious.vc

9. Emerald Development Managers

Real estate-focused fund that gets why building operators need integrated security and HVAC controls.

• Recent Deals: Smart building platforms combining security and environmental systems (2025)
• LinkedIn: Emerald Development Managers
• Sector Focus: PropTech, Smart Buildings, Access Control, Building Automation
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: New York, USA
• Website: emeralddm.com

10. Khosla Ventures

Backed autonomous security robots when everyone thought it was too early for outdoor patrol systems.

• Recent Deals: Cobalt Robotics $35M Series C (2024), autonomous perimeter monitoring
• LinkedIn: Vinod Khosla
• Sector Focus: Robotics, AI, Clean Tech, Security Automation
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Menlo Park, USA
• Website: khoslaventures.com

11. Ridge Ventures

Early investor in video analytics before computer vision became mainstream for retail security.

• Recent Deals: Retail security analytics platforms (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Yousuf Khan
• Sector Focus: Computer Vision, Video Analytics, Retail Tech, AI
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: ridge.vc

12. Allegion Ventures

Corporate VC from the lock and door hardware company investing in smart credentials and digital identity.

• Recent Deals: Smart lock startups, mobile credential platforms (2025)
• LinkedIn: Allegion Ventures
• Sector Focus: Access Control, Smart Locks, Identity, Credentials
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Carmel, USA
• Website: allegion.com/ventures

13. Gradient Ventures

Google's AI fund backing companies using computer vision for security monitoring and threat detection.

• Recent Deals: Computer vision security platforms (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Gradient Ventures
• Sector Focus: AI, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Security
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Location: Palo Alto, USA
• Website: gradient.com

14. Congruent Ventures

Climate tech fund investing in energy-efficient security cameras and low-power access systems.

• Recent Deals: Energy-efficient building security (2025)
• LinkedIn: Abe Yokell
• Sector Focus: Climate Tech, Building Efficiency, IoT, Sustainable Infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Boston, USA
• Website: congruentvc.com

15. 8VC

They understand that security needs to be an integrated platform, not point solutions for each function.

• Recent Deals: Integrated security platforms combining access, video, visitor management (2024)
• LinkedIn: Joe Lonsdale
• Sector Focus: Enterprise Software, Security Platforms, Data Infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Series C
• Location: Austin, USA
• Website: 8vc.com

16. Up.Partners

Mobility fund that invests in parking security, fleet monitoring, and vehicle access control systems.

• Recent Deals: Parking security and fleet monitoring platforms (2025)
• LinkedIn: Up.Partners
• Sector Focus: Mobility, Parking, Fleet Management, Vehicle Security
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: Detroit, USA
• Website: up.partners

17. JLL Spark

Real estate tech fund from JLL that understands what building operators actually need for security management.

• Recent Deals: Building access management, tenant security platforms (2024-2025)
• LinkedIn: Yishai Lerner
• Sector Focus: PropTech, Building Management, Access Control, Real Estate
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Location: San Francisco, USA
• Website: jllspark.com

18. Camber Creek

PropTech investor backing security solutions for multifamily and commercial properties with actual tenant data.

• Recent Deals: Multifamily access control, delivery management security (2025)
• LinkedIn: K.P. Reddy
• Sector Focus: PropTech, Multifamily, Access Control, Building Operations
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Location: Washington DC, USA
• Website: cambercreek.com

Track which investors actually read your deck

These 18 investors closed physical security deals from 2025 to 2026. Before you start reaching out, set up proper tracking.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your hardware costs and installation economics. Most founders are surprised to learn investors skip their technology architecture slides but spend 5+ minutes on customer acquisition costs and gross margins.

When investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your cap table, financial model, supply chain contracts, and hardware specs in one secure place with view analytics.

Common questions

How do I know if an investor is still active in physical security?

Check Crunchbase or Pitchbook for deals in the last 12-18 months. If they haven't closed a security deal since 2023, they've probably moved on to other sectors.

Should I pitch pure software VCs or look for PropTech specialists?

PropTech and building-focused VCs understand your sales cycles and gross margins better. Pure software VCs will question your hardware costs and installation requirements unless they've backed IoT companies before.

What's the difference between seed and growth investors in this space?

Seed investors expect you to figure out product-market fit with early adopters. Growth investors want to see at least $5M ARR and proof that enterprise customers will actually deploy your system across multiple buildings.

How many investors should I reach out to?

Start with 15-20 that have recent deals in adjacent categories like building tech, IoT, or enterprise security software. Don't spam 100 investors. Your hit rate will be terrible and word spreads fast.

When should I set up a data room?

Before you send your first deck. Investors will ask for your financial model, cap table, and hardware supply agreements within days if they're interested. Having it ready shows you've done this before.

Do investors actually care about deck analytics?

Yes. If an investor forwards your deck to their hardware expert and that person spends 10 minutes on your unit economics, you know the conversation is serious. If they just skim the intro slides, don't expect a term sheet.