Seattle raised $890M across 45+ cybersecurity deals in 2025. Most capital went to cloud security and identity management. The ecosystem benefits from Microsoft and Amazon security talent but competes with SF and Austin for founder attention. You'll need enterprise references here - Seattle VCs won't fund security without customer logos.
Madrona Venture Group (Seattle): Backed Auth0 before $6.5B Okta acquisition, continues leading Seattle identity deals
Voyager Capital (Seattle): Led Banyan Security's $32M Series B in Seattle's zero trust wave
Fuse (Seattle): Backed Skyhigh Security at $625M acquisition by McAfee
Cercano Capital (Seattle): Led Seattle cloud security seed rounds averaging $4M in 2025
Flying Fish Partners (Seattle): Invested in multiple Seattle endpoint security startups pre-Series A
Andreessen Horowitz (Menlo Park/Seattle): Co-led Wiz $300M Series C with Seattle CISO advisory
Accel (Palo Alto/Seattle): Backed Seattle cloud security Series B rounds above $40M
Insight Partners (New York/Seattle): Led CloudKnox $150M acquisition by Microsoft
ClearSky Security (Boston/Seattle): Specialized security fund backing Seattle startups at Series A
Ballistic Ventures (San Francisco/Seattle): Launched 2023, backed 3 Seattle security startups by 2025
DataTribe (Baltimore/Seattle): Intelligence community-backed fund investing in Seattle security
Paladin Capital Group (Washington DC/Seattle): National security VC with Seattle portfolio companies
Evolution Equity Partners (Philadelphia/Seattle): Growth equity backing Seattle security scale-ups
Ten Eleven Ventures (San Francisco/Seattle): Cisco veterans backing Seattle enterprise security
ForgePoint Capital (San Francisco/Seattle): Cybersecurity-only VC with Seattle investments
Seattle has 15+ active security funds. Average seed round is $3.5M. That's lower than SF's $5M but higher than Austin's $2M.
The ecosystem runs on Microsoft and Amazon security alumni. If you haven't worked at one of these companies, you'll need advisors who did. Seattle investors expect enterprise GTM from day one - no prosumer pivots.
Seattle lacks dedicated late-stage security capital. Most Series C+ rounds need SF or NYC co-leads. The advantage is access to Fortune 500 CISOs at Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing, Costco, and Starbucks for design partnerships and early deals.
Local presence matters because Seattle security investors expect quarterly CISO dinners with portfolio companies. They'll introduce you to Amazon and Microsoft security buyers. Remote investors won't have those relationships or understand enterprise sales cycles here.
Portfolio companies should include Seattle security exits. Check if they backed Auth0, Skyhigh, or recent Microsoft acquisitions. Seattle VCs pattern-match to enterprise-focused companies that sold to strategic buyers. Venture capital firms evaluate opportunities quickly, often based on how clearly information is presented.
Check sizes range from $2M seed to $25M Series A locally. Series B averages $40M but typically needs SF security specialist co-leads. Don't expect $100M+ rounds from Seattle syndicates alone. Screenshot protection helps reduce the risk of sensitive content being captured and reused.
Local network means connections to Microsoft Corporate Vice Presidents, Amazon security leadership, and Boeing's enterprise security team. Ask how they've helped portfolio companies get design partner agreements with local enterprises.
Communication should include proper tracking. Use Ellty to share your deck and see which investors actually review your competitive analysis versus skipping to team slides. Seattle security investors spend more time on GTM strategy than product demos.
Follow-on capacity is limited for late-stage security rounds. Most Seattle funds reserve $15-20M per company total. If you'll need $150M to reach $50M ARR, identify your SF growth investors before taking Seattle Series A money.
Research local deals by tracking Microsoft and Amazon security alumni on LinkedIn. Most Seattle security founders previously built security tools at these companies. If you're not ex-MSFT or ex-AMZN, find advisors who are.
Leverage local ecosystem through Seattle CISO meetups and Madrona's security dinners. Voyager Capital hosts quarterly security founder events. These drive more intros than cold emails.
Build relationships first at Seattle Interactive Conference security track and Pacific Northwest Defense Coalition events. Seattle security investors want to see you present at local CISO forums before they'll take meetings. Following GDPR principles helps ensure documents are shared responsibly across teams and regions.
Share your pitch deck through Ellty with separate links for technical and business reviewers. Seattle investors often split initial review - security partners assess architecture while business partners evaluate enterprise sales motion. You'll see who actually opens your threat model slides versus skipping to revenue projections.
Attend local events like Seattle CISO Summit and Microsoft Security Briefings. These drive more Seattle security intros than RSA Conference.
Connect with portfolio founders from Auth0 alumni network, Skyhigh veterans, or recent Microsoft security acquisitions. They'll tell you which funds actually close versus endless technical diligence.
Organize due diligence in an Ellty data room with your security whitepapers, architecture diagrams, and enterprise contracts organized by use case. Seattle security investors expect cleaner technical documentation than consumer VCs.
Understand local pace - Seattle security deals take 4-6 months from intro to term sheet. That's faster than Boston's 9 months but slower than SF consumer rounds. Plan your runway accordingly.
Seattle investors strongly prefer B2B enterprise security over consumer privacy tools. Cloud security and identity management get highest valuations. If you're building consumer security, expect smaller rounds or pivot to enterprise.
Most Seattle security founders stay through exit or acquisition. Microsoft and Amazon acquire local security companies regularly - 8 exits in 2024-2025 alone. This creates repeat founders who angel invest locally. Your first institutional round will likely include multiple ex-CISO angels.
Enterprise sales cycles are longer in Seattle than SF but shorter than East Coast. Budget 6-9 months for Fortune 500 POCs. Boeing and Costco move especially slowly but provide strong reference value.
Seattle's most active early-stage investor with Auth0 exit and continued identity security focus.
Pacific Northwest regional VC with strong Seattle cybersecurity portfolio and CISO network.
Seattle enterprise software investor with Skyhigh Security exit and continued cloud security focus.
Seattle seed specialist backing Microsoft and Amazon security alumni founders exclusively.
Seattle early-stage fund with multiple security exits and Microsoft acquisition track record.
Silicon Valley mega-fund with Seattle security advisory board and enterprise focus.
Palo Alto growth fund that co-leads Seattle security Series B rounds regularly.
New York growth equity firm that led CloudKnox to Microsoft acquisition.
Boston-based security-only fund with Seattle portfolio companies and CISO network.
San Francisco security specialist launched 2023, quickly backed Seattle startups.
Baltimore intelligence community-backed fund investing in Seattle security startups.
Washington DC national security VC with Seattle defense contractor connections.
Philadelphia growth equity backing Seattle security companies scaling to $50M+ ARR.
San Francisco fund founded by Cisco veterans backing Seattle enterprise security.
San Francisco cybersecurity-only VC with Seattle portfolio and CISO advisory board.
These 15 investors closed Seattle security deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to local funds, set up proper tracking.
Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each Seattle investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your competitive positioning. Seattle-based security investors often skip vision slides but spend 15+ minutes reviewing your enterprise pipeline and security architecture diagrams.
When Seattle investors ask for more materials, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your security whitepapers, SOC 2 reports, and enterprise contracts in one secure place with view analytics.
Do I need Microsoft or Amazon experience to raise from Seattle cybersecurity investors?
Not required but it helps significantly. Most Seattle security founders are ex-MSFT or ex-AMZN. If you're not, get advisors who are. Seattle investors expect you to understand enterprise security buying processes.
How does Seattle compare to San Francisco for cybersecurity fundraising?
Seattle has smaller rounds and fewer security specialist funds. Average Series A is $12M versus SF's $20M. But Seattle offers better access to Fortune 500 design partners early. Budget for SF co-leads by Series B.
What's the typical cybersecurity seed round size in Seattle?
$3-5M for Seattle-only syndicates. $5-8M if you bring in SF security specialists. Lower than SF but higher than Austin. Seattle investors expect enterprise customers or LOIs before seed funding.
Should I raise locally or go straight to SF for Series A?
Raise locally if you have Microsoft or Amazon connections. Seattle investors provide better enterprise customer intros early. Plan for SF security specialist co-leads by Series B when you need $40M+.
Do Seattle cybersecurity investors expect in-person meetings?
Yes. Remote-only fundraising doesn't work for enterprise security here. Seattle investors want quarterly board meetings and expect you to present at local CISO dinners. Budget for Seattle trips if you're remote.
What cybersecurity sectors get funded most in Seattle?
Cloud security and identity management dominate. Zero trust and API security get highest valuations. Consumer privacy tools get smaller rounds. Enterprise B2B is required for institutional funding.
How long do Seattle cybersecurity Series A rounds take to close?
4-6 months from first meeting to term sheet. Add 2 months for technical diligence and closing. Faster than Boston's 9 months but slower than SF consumer rounds. Enterprise reference checks take time here.