Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming cybersecurity, and family offices are fueling the shift. From quantum encryption to predictive threat detection, they’re backing AI-driven startups with real conviction. This blog highlights five family offices leading the charge. With FINTRX, asset managers can surface these direct investments, trace co-investment ties, and connect with the key players in the AI-cybersecurity crossover.
Hillspire, the investment vehicle of Eric Schmidt, has emerged as a cornerstone investor in AI-meets-cybersecurity ventures. The family office has backed SandboxAQ, a quantum + AI hybrid with a cybersecurity suite, in four separate rounds, most recently its 2025 Series E. Hillspire also co-led Stairwell’s $45M Series B in 2022, a firm that uses AI to detect novel malware variants in real-time.
• Repeat investor in SandboxAQ across four rounds (2022–2025)
• Co-led Stairwell’s $45M Series B with NJF Holdings
• Pattern of backing cyber firms fusing AI scalability with R&D intensity
View Hillspire’s FINTRX Profile
In 2023, the family office of Israeli entrepreneur Teddy Sagi acquired full control of Kape Technologies, a cybersecurity firm specializing in VPN, anti-tracking, and encrypted browser solutions. This decisive $1.6B deal underscores the vertical integration potential of family capital in high-demand tech sectors.
• $1.6B complete buyout, an uncommon move for an FO
• Positions Globe Invest as the sole owner of major consumer cyber tools
• Investment strategy shows intent to control both IP and distribution
View Globe Invest Limited’s FINTRX Profile
Knollwood Investment (Bunting family) is building a diversified cyber stack. In 2025, it invested $10M in Silent Push (Series B), an AI firm predicting attacks before they happen. In 2020, Knollwood backed Arctic Wolf's $200M Series E, a late-stage leader in managed threat detection. The pairing shows a deliberate spread across early and growth-stage AI security bets.
• Silent Push: Uses AI to surface "Indicators of Future Attack"
• Arctic Wolf: Managed detection giant with $800M+ raised
• Demonstrates thesis-based approach across cyber lifecycle stages
View Knollwood Investment’s FINTRX Profile
Paul Allen’s Cercano Management backed Singapore-based watchTowr from seed through Series A ($19M). The company delivers attack surface management via AI-led scans simulating real-world hacker behavior. Cercano’s multi-round support reflects a build-from-the-ground-up strategy targeting operationally critical AI tools.
• Participated in all four watchTowr rounds (rare for a family office)
• Emphasizes early-stage support of continuous threat modeling
• watchTowr simulates breach methods using AI + live internet telemetry
View Cercano Management’s FINTRX Profile
J. Hunt Holdings made dual moves in 2022: $250M Series D into BlueVoyant and $50M Series B into Shift5. The former offers enterprise-grade AI threat defense; the latter secures transportation and military platforms. These bets reveal a cyber thesis rooted in national resilience and infrastructure hardening.
• BlueVoyant: AI security for financial institutions and enterprises
• Shift5: Protects planes, trains, and battlefield systems from breaches
• Focused on both digital and operational technology (OT) domains
View J. Hunt Holdings’ FINTRX Profile
As the cybersecurity threat landscape intensifies, AI is no longer optional, and family offices are responding accordingly. These five family offices are treating AI-powered security as a cornerstone of national and digital infrastructure. If you're raising capital or mapping co-investment trends in this space, FINTRX gives you an edge:
• Surface historical direct investment data across 4,300+ global family offices
• Leverage AI Search to segment by stage, sector, and conviction
• Use AI Analyst to uncover thematic patterns and warm intros
Family offices aren’t passively watching AI security; they’re building it. FINTRX helps you connect with those doing it first and best.