Security News > 2020 > May > This Group of CISOs Is Pumping Their Own Money and Advice Into Security Startups
A syndicate of practicing CISOs invests its own money and personal expertise into the success of the syndicate's portfolio companies.
SVCI was formed in September 2019 by seven CISOs and Oren Yunger, and has already invested in three security startups.
The syndicate grew out of an earlier year-long project called Security for Startups, where the CISOs sought to instill security concepts into the foundation of new companies.
After Security for Startups, it was natural for the participating CISOs to expand their ambition from helping innovative startups be secure, to helping startup vendors produce innovative and effective security products - and to do that by investing themselves into the startups.
Harshil Parikh, head of security at Medallia, added, "It is surprising how many security products and vendors there are in the community, but they don't listen to us. As security practitioners we come across so many companies and products where we just wish they would listen to the practitioner feedback and build a solution that solves our very legitimate problems. From my perspective I think we are all participants in SVCI to make our voices heard, and drive change within the innovation that startups are delivering."