Jun 22, 2021

First In Announces Initial Closing of Fund I to Invest in Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence Innovation ASPEN, Colo., June 21, 2021-- Today, First In, the venture capital firm focused on supporting mission-driven founders, announced the initial close of First In Ventures Fund I (“Fund I”). The firm, founded in 2020, now manages $17 million in total capital. Led by Managing Partner Renny McPherson, First In’s investment team is composed of seasoned cybersecurity investors and cybersecurity company founders and executives. Most of First In’s investment team started their careers in the US military. First In believes military veteran entrepreneurs are well positioned to create some of the most promising cyber startups over the next several years and beyond. This is particularly true as the line separating attacks on public and private sectors has blurred significantly. First In aims to support cybersecurity entrepreneurs, particularly those who are military veterans, as they drive innovation in cybersecurity and data intelligence for private and public enterprises. First In’s initial investments include Phylum and Caveonix, two veteran-founded cybersecurity companies. Most recently, First In invested in Moth+Flame, a next-generation compliance and training company focused on military and enterprise clients. “We believe veteran entrepreneurs’ experience, at the leading edge of understanding attack vectors and devising cybersecurity solutions within government, imparts the perspective, technical skills, and community to uniquely understand and counteract state and criminal cyber actors,” says Renny McPherson. “We are grateful that our limited partners share our vision for the positive change our portfolio companies are making in the cybersecurity space.” About First In First In invests in companies at the forefront of modern security for the enterprise and for society. Our investment team is composed of cybersecurity company founders, technical experts, and military veterans. The team is led by Managing Partner Renny McPherson, who began his career as a Marine Corps officer in Iraq and East Asia, and later worked in national security and intelligence policy at RAND before co-founding and leading go-to-market strategy at RedOwl Analytics (acquired by Forcepoint/Raytheon). Dr. Josh Lospinoso, CEO and founder of Shift5 and a co-founder of RedOwl Analytics, leads First In’s technical diligence. Josh served as a founding member of US Army Cyber Command after earning his doctorate at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. Aloysius “Ish” Boyle, a US Marine Corps infantry veteran, is a sales leader at Zscaler. He leads the evaluation of and support for go-to-market strategy for First In. Anne Meree Craig, the founder and past CEO of the COMMIT Foundation, leads community for First In. She is an intelligence community veteran of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.