# Ex-Secret Service Agent Raises $250M Cybersecurity Fund

> Ex-Secret Service agent flips hacker to launch second $250M cybersecurity fund.
- Title: Ex-Secret Service Agent Raises $250M Cybersecurity Fund
- Summary: Ex-Secret Service agent flips hacker to launch second $250M cybersecurity fund. Connie Loizos, a former Secret Service agent who flipped a hacker, is raising…
- Keywords: brightmind, cybersecurity, venture, venture firms, crowdstrike, wiz, tiaa, home depot, empirical security, qualys, tenable, pitchbook
- Source: TechCrunch — https://techcrunch.com/2026/11/05/the-ex-secret-service-agent-who-flipped-a-hacker-is-now-raising-a-second-250m-cybersecurity-fund
- Author: Connie Loizos
- Published: 2026-11-05T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: brightmind, cybersecurity, venture, venture firms, crowdstrike, wiz, tiaa, home depot, empirical security, qualys, tenable, pitchbook
## Connie Loizos
Ex-Secret Service agent Connie Loizos flipped a hacker to launch Brightmind Partners' second $250M cybersecurity fund.

> You have to sell on the way up
## Brightmind Partners
Ward and Talpaz closed $250M fund in 2025, now raising second fund without co-founder.
## Selling Strategy
Ward tracks security acquisitions to time exits before competitors react.
## Hacker Flip
Ward flipped hacker after arresting him for largest credit card theft of era.
## Operation Firewall
Hacker received 20-year sentence after Ward flipped him, podcast released.
## Career Shift
Ward left Secret Service after 9 years to join J.P. Morgan in 2007.
## TIAA and Home Depot
Ward held CISO roles at TIAA and Home Depot before founding Brightmind.
## Wiz Acquisition
Wiz acquired by Google for $32 billion in 2025, Ward worked on its security software.
## Brightmind Fund
Brightmind made 14 investments with one exit: SGNL sold for $740M.
## PitchBook Data
Early-stage cybersecurity startups raised $4.7B in seed-through-Series B deals through September 2026.
## AI Security Focus
Ward questions how much of $4.7B is for AI security, manual review found only 30 true cases.
## Brightmind's Second Fund
Second fund targets $250M, 20% on AI infrastructure, 40% startups from Tel Aviv.
## Team Structure
Brightmind has five people: COO Iva Messy, CTO Jamie Mneimneh, Sven Wollschlaeger, Taylor Cleveland.
## Investment Philosophy
Ward focuses on second-time founders who stick together for better exits.
## 3x Net Fund Goal
Ward aims for 3x net fund return before celebrating, driven by financial insecurity.
## Key takeaway

Connie Loizos, a former Secret Service agent who flipped a hacker, is raising a second $250 million cybersecurity fund with Brightmind Partners.