Join Ballistic at Black Hat USA 2025

Every August, the world’s hackers descend on the Las Vegas Strip. From Black Hat, DEF CON and BSides to the less publicized meet-ups, it’s dubbed “Hacker Summer Camp,” and it’s where cybersecurity’s best minds come to trade intel, share exploits, and shape what’s next.

Some show up to demo security products. Others remind us how exposed we really are. In years past, hackers have made ATMs spit out cash, broken elevators, messed with slot machines, and found bugs in airplanes, Teslas, and power grids. It’s part competition, part collaboration, and one big reminder that cybersecurity remains on shaky ground.

This year, Ballistic Ventures is heading back to the desert from August 4-8. If you’ll be there, don’t miss many of our partners, advisors, and portfolio companies on-site. Here’s a look at where to find us.

🔥 Keynotes from our leaders

Ballistic Partner Nicole Perlroth 
📅 Thur, Aug 7 | 9:00 AM |📍Black Hat
Ballistic Venture Partner Nicole Perlroth is headlining Black Hat with a powerful keynote on “The New Frontline: Cyber on the Precipice.” And she’ll issue a stark warning: “The threats we once chased have gone quiet, modular, and autonomous. Malware has given way to ‘living off the land.’ Ransomware is a subscription service. AI isn’t just amplifying attacks – it’s distorting reality itself.” Her call to action? Define red lines, protect what matters most, and recognize that courage – not just code – will shape our future.

Ballistic Advisor Chris Inglis 
📅 Thur, Aug 7 | 1:30 PM |📍Black Hat
Ballistic Strategic Advisor Chris Inglis, the former and first U.S. National Cyber Director, will also deliver a Black Hat keynote, “From Slide Rules to GenAI: Musings of a Graybeard Public Servant on What’s Changing, What’s Not, and What Should.” His decades of service and perspective will offer a unique view into how the security industry can and must adapt in the face of transformational technology shifts. We look forward to listening in.

🛡️ Portfolio research goes main-stage

Ballistic-backed companies are known for pushing the envelope in cyber innovation, and this year’s events will be no exception. Across briefings, villages, and side events, the following startups will showcase groundbreaking research and real-world impact.

Noma – Addressing Real-World AI Security Challenges
📅 Tues, Aug 5 | 9:50 AM |📍Black Hat 
AI security is no longer theoretical. Attackers are actively exploiting AI vulnerabilities, and security teams must adapt quickly. Hear Noma Co-founder and CEO Niv Braun on a panel discussing the biggest AI-driven security risks today and how security pros can proactively defend against them.

Reach Security – The Dark Side of Vibe Coding
📅 Tues, Aug 5 | 3 PM |📍BSidesLV 
Reach security researcher Chloe Potsklan will speak at BSidesLV on how vibe coding with GenAI can produce insecure code, mislead teams, and erode foundational engineering skills. At Black Hat, Reach will also demo its platform, recently recognized by Gartner in its new Preemptive Security report.

Oligo – A Worm in the Apple
📅 Wed, Aug 6 | 11:20 AM |📍Black Hat
Discover how AirBorne, a new class of vulnerabilities in Apple’s AirPlay protocol, can lead to zero-click Remote Code Execution (RCE). The Oligo team will demonstrate full device takeovers on MacBooks, smart speakers, and CarPlay systems.

SpecterOps – Clustered Points of Failure – Attacking Windows Server Failover Clusters
📅 Thur, Aug 7 | 11:20 AM |📍Black Hat
SpecterOps exposes how a single compromised node in a Windows Server Failover Cluster (WSFC) can lead to full cluster takeover and domain compromise. Learn new abuse paths, credential attacks, and defensive strategies for securing this often-overlooked infrastructure. SpecterOps is staying busy; they’re also giving 3 DEF CON talks + 5 Arsenal sessions.

Oligo – Pwn My Ride: Jailbreaking Cars with CarPlay
📅 Fri, Aug 8 | 3:40 PM |📍DEF CON – AppSec Village
Oligo will explore how the same AirBorne bugs impact CarPlay-enabled devices, featuring live demos of vehicle takeovers.

🌟 Off-stage [equally awesome!] events from our portfolio

Black Hat week isn’t just about what happens on the main stage. Here’s where else to catch our portfolio teams off-stage, hosting meetups, throwing parties, and showing off what they’re building.

ArmorCode & The Purple Book Community
📅 Wed, Aug 6 | 11 AM-2 PM |📍Ri Ra Irish Pub – Mandalay Bay
ArmorCode will host a meetup as part of its leadership of the Purple Book Community (PBC), dedicated to secure software development. Sessions include: “Rethinking Risk as the World Embraces AI,” with real-world stories from AppSec leaders, and “The Cyber Resilience Act (CRA),” with practical advice on meeting EU regulatory demands. Details here.

BreachRx
📅 Tues, Aug 5 – Wed, Aug 6 | 10AM-6PM |📍House of Blues – Mandalay Bay
Find them at the Cyber Lounge for some R&R. Details here. (Psst, CISOs: Don’t miss their exclusive CISO Society cocktail reception, too.)

Mimic
📅 Wed, Aug 6 | 9AM |📍Foundation Room – Mandalay Bay
Mimic will co-host rising stars and women in security for breakfast. You can also check out the company’s ransomware defense tech with private demos and invite-only dinners here.

Noma Security
📅 Wed, Aug 6 – Thur, Aug 7 |📍Black Hat Booth #2867
Stop by the Noma booth to learn about expanding your AI footprint, deploying agentic AI, and navigating the evolving compliance landscape.

Nudge Security
📅 Mon Aug 4 – Wed, Aug 6 |📍BSidesLV
Come meet the Nudge team and see how we can help you discover shadow SaaS, govern AI use, and mitigate third-party risks.

Oligo
📅 Wed, Aug 6 | 6PM |📍Topgolf
In addition to two major on-stage talks, Oligo is also hosting a high-tech driving-range golf game. RSVP here.

Pangea
📅 Wed, Aug 6 |📍Across the Vegas Strip 
Racing cars and hosting happy hours is in Pangea’s cards. Get the details here. And don’t miss their new launch of Pangea Labs, a dedicated research division and specialized Red Teaming services to help organizations defend against sophisticated AI attacks.

SpecterOps
📅 Wed, Aug 6 – Thur, Aug 7 |📍Black Hat Booth #4527
Stop by SpecterOps’ booth to learn about identity attack paths, threat actor tradecraft, and how Bloodhound Enterprise can help.
📅 Wed, Aug 6 | 6:30PM  |📍Brooklyn Bowl
With 9 talks and an expo booth, you can also strike up a conversation over bowling with their team. RSVP here.

Veza
📅 Wed, Aug 6 – Thur, Aug 7 |📍Black Hat Booth #5945
Stop by Veza’s booth to learn more about identity security and least privilege access.

WitnessAI
📅 Wed, Aug 6 – Thur, Aug 7 |📍Black Hat AI Pavilion Booth #4111
Stop by the WitnessAI booth to see how their tech enables safe enterprise AI use.
📅 Tues, Aug 5 – Thur, Aug 7|📍Across the Vegas Strip
Going all-in on AI? WitnessAI’s week includes expert sessions, live demos, poker, and a speed racing experience you won’t want to miss. Details here.

👋 See you at camp!

Hacker Summer Camp may only last a week, but the mission to secure the future is year-round, nonstop. We’re all in. We hope you are, too.