# Former Secret Service agent Stephen Ward raises second cybersecurity fund

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/he-arrested-a-hacker-then-spent-18-months-clearing-his-own-name-now-hes-a-cybersecurity-vc/
- Published: 2026-11-08T17:30:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-08T17:49:11+00:00
- Original publisher: TechCrunch
- Original article: https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/08/the-ex-secret-service-agent-who-flipped-a-hacker-is-now-raising-a-second-250m-cybersecurity-fund/
- Topics: Cybersecurity, Technology

## Key points

- Ward is targeting about $250 million for his second cybersecurity fund.
- He is raising it alone after his co-founder left.
- Brightmind backed SGNL before CrowdStrike agreed to a $740 million acquisition.

## Summary

Former Secret Service agent Stephen Ward is raising a second cybersecurity fund, targeting roughly $250 million, the same size as Brightmind Partners’ debut fund. The move puts him in charge as sole general partner after co-founder Gur Talpaz and another early colleague left, and comes as early-stage cybersecurity firms attract more investment than later-stage rivals for the first time in over a decade.

Ward says investors should plan to sell companies as they grow, rather than assume every one will reach an IPO. A notable early result for Brightmind was its investment in identity security startup SGNL: CrowdStrike agreed to acquire it for $740 million, 11 months after Brightmind led its Series A. Before investing, Ward served in the Coast Guard and Secret Service, then held chief information security officer roles at TIAA and Home Depot.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.