Dreamit Ventures

Dreamit Ventures Research Investment Thesis Dreamit Ventures is a specialized early-stage venture capital firm focused on transformative cybersecurity and health technology startups. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in New York with significant operations in Philadelphia, Dreamit operates a unique accelerator-style investment model combining early-stage capital deployment with active operational support. The firm's core thesis is that early-stage founders with innovative solutions in cybersecurity, healthcare technology, and physical security can be accelerated to scale with the right capital, strategic customer introductions, and operational guidance. Dreamit believes that companies demonstrating early product-market fit through revenue, pilots, or design partnerships represent the best investment opportunities. The firm explicitly targets pre-Series A companies with proven traction, differentiating them from typical seed-stage investors. Their investment approach combines venture capital with a managed-services accelerator model, providing founders with not just capital but strategic access to enterprise customers and co-investors. Sector Focus Dreamit maintains a multi-vertical investment strategy across three primary sectors: Cybersecurity & Security Tech (Primary Focus): Cloud-native and DevOps security (Kubernetes policy, CNAPP, cloud security posture) Identity and access management (IAM resiliency, identity threat detection) Endpoint and infrastructure protection (ransomware prevention, zero trust) Software supply chain security and software provenance AI-powered security operations and automation Physical security and access control integration Anti-fraud and risk compliance solutions Digital Health Technology (Secondary Focus): Remote patient monitoring and engagement platforms Healthcare IT and EHR integration Wearable and sensor-based health monitoring Physical Infrastructure Technology (Emerging Focus): Unmanned aerial systems and robotics Package and hazmat detection systems Stage Focus Dreamit is a pre-Series A specialist , targeting companies with deployed products and initial customer traction. Initial investments of $500K-$1.5M with explicit reserves for follow-ons. The firm explicitly targets companies "ready to scale" with early revenue or pilots, positioning them in the distinctive niche between pure seed investors and traditional Series A investors. Check Size & Capital Check Size Profile: Initial Investment: $500K - $1.5M Follow-on Reserves: Equal or similar amounts per portfolio company Co-Investment Network: Access to 100+ co-investors Capital Characteristics: Participating preferred equity, flexible structures for earlier-stage companies Lead Tendency Actively Leads Investments. Dreamit positions itself as a lead investor in its target stage band: Leads initial investment rounds in pre-Series A companies Reserves capacity for follow-on investments Actively participates in subsequent fundraising as lead or co-lead Partners with syndicate of 100+ co-investors during "Investor Sprints" Recent exits demonstrate Dreamit's support through to strategic acquisition (Cisco acquisition of Oort in 2023, Arcticwolf acquisition of UpSight Security in November 2025). Recent Activity & Fund Status Fund Status: Actively Deploying Dreamit is currently actively deploying capital with recent momentum: October 2025: $5M Seed round in Bricklayer AI (multi-agent LLM security platform) Active deal flow in cybersecurity and health tech with strong portfolio company traction Operating four distinct funds since 2008 Notable Recent Events: August 2025: Intelligent Observation acquired by HID November 2025: UpSight Security acquired by Arcticwolf 60+ active portfolio companies across security, health, and infrastructure Portfolio Exits: Oort (Cisco, 2023) - Identity threat detection Intelligent Observation (HID, 2025) - Hand hygiene monitoring UpSight Security (Arcticwolf, 2025) - Ransomware prevention Caresignal (Lightbeam Health, 2021) - Remote patient monitoring QuantaVerse (AML RightSource, 2021) - AI financial crime Portfolio Highlights Active Notable Companies: AccuKnox - Zero Trust Cloud Native Application Protection (CNAPP) Bricklayer AI - Multi-agent LLM security platform Nirmata - Kubernetes policy and governance Cylera - Machine learning medical device cyber defense Daxa - Multi-cloud data security platform Lineaje - Software supply chain security Formotiv - Behavioral analytics for fraud detection RaySecur - Millimeter wave package scanning Tidal Cyber - Threat-informed defense platform System Surveyor - Cloud-based physical security design Portfolio Metrics: 360+ total investments since 2008 60+ active security technology companies 15+ active health technology companies Mix of successful exits and high-growth companies Team & Leadership Core Leadership: Darren Sandberg (Managing Partner): 25+ years venture, PE, and growth strategy. Former board member at Channel Intelligence (acquired by Google), Managing Director at Actua Mel Shakir (Partner, Securetech): 15+ years cybersecurity expertise. CTO at Incache, Nitro Security, McAfee. Product leadership at RSA Netwitness and Securonix ($100M+ ARR, $1B+ valuation) Drew Hunt (Director, Securetech): Leads sourcing and deal flow. Former VP Business Development at Conceal Brittany Gillow (Director of Accounting): Oversees finance and HR. Former controller at logistics company Brandon Lee (Associate): Supports deal sourcing. NYU Data Science graduate Board Members: Steve Welch (Founder & Board Member): Founded Mitos (biotech), KinderTown (educational app), Restore Cryotherapy David Bookspan (Founder & Board Member): Founded Monetate, MarketSpan/LexisNexis CourtLink Mike Levinson (Founder & Chairman): CEO WizeHive, co-founder PTS Learning Systems Jeff Vinik (Partner & Board Member): Owner Tampa Bay Lightning, former Fidelity Magellan Fund manager Avi Savar (Partner & Board Member): Founder Big Fuel (largest social media agency globally) Key Advisors: Tanuj Gulati (Cybersecurity Advisor): Co-founder Securonix, Vaau. Executive roles at Oracle and Sun Evelin Biro (Cybersecurity Advisor): 20+ years cybersecurity risk management, CISO roles at Fortune companies Leadership team averages 25+ years experience with proven ability to scale companies and navigate exits. Decision Process Decision Structure: Partnership Model Lead partners (Darren Sandberg, Mel Shakir) make investment decisions with board oversight Collaborative due diligence involving full team Board structure includes founder-CEOs and institutional partners Advisory network provides domain expertise Timeline: Initial assessment: 2-4 weeks Customer and investor sprint participation: 4-6 weeks Investment decision: 2-4 weeks after sprints Funding close: 1-2 weeks Total: 8-14 weeks from application to funded Investor Support Model Highly Active Involvement: Weekly to monthly strategy sessions with Dreamit partner Quarterly customer sprints connecting with enterprise prospects Curated introductions to follow-on investors for Series A Board observer or board seat for operational involvement Expert network provides tactical guidance Support Focus: Go-to-market strategy and sales execution Fundraising readiness and investor relations Customer acquisition and pilot management Organizational hiring and team building Regulatory and compliance strategy Geographic Focus Primary Markets: US Northeast: New York (HQ) and Philadelphia (operational center) Secondary: San Francisco Bay Area International: Israeli companies accepted (no US C-Corp conversion required) European companies considered in cybersecurity sector Strong bias toward companies serving US enterprise markets US C-Corp required for most companies Founder Preferences Ideal Profile: Technical founder/co-founder with deep domain expertise Prior experience at scaled companies (Google, Microsoft, AWS, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks) Ability to attract talented team Product mindset focused on customer problems Ability to engage with enterprise customers What They Look For: Founders with prior exits or operating experience Security/health tech specialists with credentials Teams that have built previous products Coachable, receptive to feedback Clear market understanding and defensible positioning What They Avoid: Pure consumer apps and social networks Business models unsuited to enterprise B2B No product or customer validation Teams without domain expertise Companies seeking to remain entirely remote Competitive Advantages Unique Value Proposition: Only early-stage investor with dedicated customer sprint program (70+ enterprise partners) Curated investor network (100+ co-investors) for Series A syndication Vertical-specific domain expertise Active operational support bridging accelerators and traditional VC Pre-Series A focus captures companies missed by seed and Series A investors Key Advantages: Customer relationship network provides immediate go-to-market validation Syndication network accelerates subsequent fundraising Active mentoring reduces time to Series A readiness Concentrated portfolio allows deep operational involvement Summary Dreamit Ventures is a specialized venture capital firm focused on transformative pre-Series A investments in cybersecurity, health technology, and physical security. Founded in 2008 with 360+ portfolio companies, the firm combines venture capital with accelerator-style value delivery. Their competitive advantage lies in providing portfolio companies structured access to enterprise customer decision-makers (70+ partners, quarterly sprints) and co-investors (100+ partner firms) during the critical inflection point between seed-stage and Series A fundraising. The firm is actively deploying capital with strong recent activity in AI-powered security solutions and demonstrates consistent ability to guide portfolio companies to strategic exits. With experienced leadership combining founder-CEOs, cybersecurity domain experts, and board-level governance advisors, Dreamit provides portfolio companies with both capital and operational leverage.