Tidal Cyber Secures $10M to Expand Threat-Led Defense

Tidal Cyber has raised $10 million in Series A funding, led by Bright Pixel Capital with support from existing investors. The Virginia-based company specializes in Threat-Led Defense, a model that centers security strategies around actual adversary behaviors rather than assumptions or compliance checklists. The new capital will accelerate product development and support the company’s broader growth strategy.

The company was founded by Frank Duff, Richard Struse, and Rick Gordon, all of whom bring decades of experience from MITRE and other leading cybersecurity efforts. Their backgrounds include building standards like STIX and TAXII, developing ATT&CK Evaluations, and launching successful cybersecurity startups. Together, they’ve positioned Tidal Cyber as a force in advancing how organizations measure and strengthen their defenses.

Rick Gordon, CEO and co-founder, emphasized that organizations are seeking ways to move past legacy approaches and focus on practical, real-world threats. Tidal Cyber’s platform is designed to help security teams identify coverage gaps, test the effectiveness of their tools, and shift toward continuous, adversary-informed defense. Investors share this vision, pointing to the company’s ability to bring clarity and focus to cybersecurity operations.

The funding round was led by Bright Pixel Capital, the investment arm of Sonae, alongside other backers including USAA, Squadra, Capital One, Veteran Ventures, Task Force X, and Ultratech. With the backing of these firms, Tidal Cyber plans to continue scaling its platform and advancing its long-term goal of embedding Threat-Led Defense at the core of enterprise security strategy.