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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Ballistic Ventures announced on August 1, 2024, that retired U.S. Army General Paul Nakasone had joined the firm as a strategic advisor. The firm said he would assess its investments and provide strategic support to portfolio companies. This is a 2024 appointment announcement, not new 2026 news.
What is Paul Nakasone’s role at Ballistic Ventures?
Ballistic Ventures described Nakasone’s remit as assessing the firm’s investments and offering strategic support to its portfolio companies. The firm did not disclose compensation, the duration or terms of the arrangement, how often he would meet with companies, or any specific investment decisions.
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Ballistic characterizes itself as a venture capital firm focused on early-stage cybersecurity and cyber-related companies. In its August 1, 2024 announcement, co-founder and general partner Ted Schlein said: “General Nakasone is uniquely familiar with the most pressing national security threats facing the U.S. today.” That is Schlein’s assessment of the appointment, not a statement of Nakasone’s disclosed duties.
Who is Paul Nakasone?
Ballistic’s announcement identifies Nakasone as a former commander of U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency (NSA), and chief of the Central Security Service. His background in senior government cybersecurity roles is the experience the firm cited in describing his advisory contribution.
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Nakasone said in the announcement: “Throughout my career, I learned very quickly that partnerships between the public and private sectors can never be understated.” The remark expresses his view of public-private partnerships; it does not specify what work he would perform for any particular portfolio company.
What does the appointment mean for Ballistic Ventures?
The announcement places a former senior U.S. cybersecurity leader in an advisory role at a firm investing in cybersecurity and related businesses. Ballistic said Nakasone would advise on investment assessment and support portfolio companies, but it did not name investments he would review or describe particular outcomes expected from his appointment.
Ballistic said the appointment followed the close of its oversubscribed second fund of $360 million. That is the firm’s reported fund figure in its 2024 release, not an independently verified measure of investment performance. The same release said firm members had founded or funded “over 100” cybersecurity firms and had led “over 10,000” security professionals globally; those figures are also Ballistic’s own claims.
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Is Nakasone still an advisor?
Ballistic’s current biography describes Nakasone as an advisor and also lists his service on OpenAI’s board and as founding director of Vanderbilt University’s Institute for National Defense and Global Security. The firm’s current team roster likewise lists him among its advisors. These are statements in Ballistic’s changeable current profiles, rather than details of the original 2024 announcement.
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