Notable Capital Unveils Rising in Cyber 2026

PR Newswire

SAN FRANCISCO, May 12, 2026

CISO-Voted List Names 30 Private Cybersecurity Startups Defining the Future of AI-Era Security

SAN FRANCISCO, May 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Notable Capital today announced Rising in Cyber 2026, the third annual list spotlighting 30 of the most promising private cybersecurity startups. Selected through voting by 150 active CISOs and senior security executives, the list reflects where enterprise security is actually headed.

The firm also released the Rising in Cyber 2026 Report, produced in collaboration with Morgan Stanley. Drawing on exclusive CISO survey data and market analysis, the report examines how security teams are navigating a period defined by rapid AI adoption, expanding attack surfaces, and a surge in strategic M&A, and maps where innovation and capital are converging as a result.

This year’s honorees have collectively raised over $6.9 billion according to PitchBook, and span critical categories including identity and access management, security operations, and agentic AI security.

“The CISO vote is what makes this list different,” said Oren Yunger, Managing Partner at Notable Capital. “These are the practitioners making implementation decisions every day, not investors. When they speak, the industry listens. Rising in Cyber reflects what security leaders actually trust, adopt, and believe in. Congratulations to this year’s honorees for earning that validation.”

Key Findings from the Rising in Cyber 2026 Report

The report surfaces several defining trends shaping cybersecurity in 2026:

AI adoption is outpacing security readiness. Over 70% of surveyed CISOs report AI agents already in production, yet more than 50% describe their AI security tooling as early-stage or immature – a gap the next generation of startups is racing to close.
Identity and access management tops the threat list. As AI agents proliferate across enterprise environments, taking independent actions, 20% of CISOs named identity and access control for AI-based applications and agents as their most pressing concern over the next 12 months.
Strategic M&A has reshaped the market. Cybersecurity strategic M&A transaction volume surged to $81 billion in 2025 – up more than 4x from 2024 – as technology companies moved aggressively to acquire specialized capabilities. The momentum has continued into 2026.
The market is large and growing. The cybersecurity market is projected to reach $250 billion by 2029, up from $151 billion in 2025, according to Morgan Stanley, with double-digit growth expected across identity, data security, and cloud-native application protection.
Budgets are growing alongside demands. Nearly a quarter of CISOs expect budget increases of up to 10% in 2026, with a meaningful share anticipating gains of 25% or more — driven largely by pressure to secure new AI workloads.

In recognition of this year’s honorees, Notable Capital is collaborating with the New York Stock Exchange to host a private event on May 12 celebrating the Rising in Cyber 2026 cohort alongside top security leaders and investors.

To download the Rising in Cyber 2026 Report and view the full honoree list, visit www.risingincyber.com.

Rising in Cyber 2026 Honorees

*Notable Capital portfolio company

About Rising in Cyber

Rising in Cyber is an annual list and research initiative that recognizes the most promising private cybersecurity companies, as selected by nearly 150 practicing CISOs and cybersecurity executives. For more information about the Rising in Cyber list, report, and methodology, visit www.risingincyber.com.

About Notable Capital

Notable Capital is named for the founders we invest with, the ideas they pursue, and the companies they build. An early-stage venture capital firm headquartered in the U.S., Notable brings a global perspective to cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, fintech, commerce, and AI, investing across the U.S., Israel, Europe, and select go-global markets.

Portfolio companies include Affirm, Airbnb, Anthropic, Browserbase, Drata, Fal.ai, Handshake, Quince, Slack, Square, Vercel, Wispr, and more. More information at www.notablecap.com.