Roger Thornton

Roger Thornton

General Partner

"Get to the core of what your customer needs versus what they want. If you do this well, you will crush competitors focused simply on what the customer asked for."
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Roger Thornton Flashback - Ballistic Ventures

Photo:

With Fortify in Seoul, Korea circa — 2003

Backstory

Roger is a driving force behind hundreds of technology products and services that have formed and grown companies across a range of industries. As a founder and CTO, his visionary product and technology leadership helped create cybersecurity industry leaders Fortify Software and AlienVault. As an investor, mentor and board member he has helped multiple generations of entrepreneurs build more than 15 successful cybersecurity companies. In his General Partner role at Ballistic, Roger taps into over 30 years of experience and counsels future generations of cybersecurity founders who are focused on building great products as a foundation for great companies.

Photo:

With Fortify in Seoul, Korea circa — 2003

Fun fact

Bay Area native, now found between Texas and Japan.

Founder's experience

“In the early stages, it is not just performance, but also your sanity that depends on strong board-level advocates who have walked in your shoes and truly understand cybersecurity. It’s crucial to surround yourself with operators like Roger and his partners at Ballistic.”

Founder's experience

“I have worked with several of the Ballistic partners for many years. Some are proven VCs with a long track record of success. Others, like Roger, are phenomenal operators who can read markets, recruit great talent, and help build products and companies. As a team, I think of them more as co-founders with money than traditional VCs.”

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Karim Toubba

CEO of Kenna Security
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Russ Spitler

Co-founder and CEO of Nudge Security

    Investments at Ballistic

    • Outcome Private
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    Founded, funded, or operated prior to Ballistic

    • Engagement Series Seed Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2021
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    • Engagement Series A Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2021
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    • Engagement Series B Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2021
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    • Engagement Series B Investor
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2021
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    • Engagement Series Seed Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2020
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    • Engagement Series B Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2020
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    • Engagement Series B Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2020
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    • Engagement Series A Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2020
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    • Engagement Series A Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2018
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    • Engagement Series B Investor*
    • Outcome Acquired by Sumo Logic
    • Partnered in 2018
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    • Engagement Series Seed Investor*
    • Outcome Private
    • Partnered in 2017
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    • Engagement Strategic Advisor
    • Outcome Acquired by FireEye
    • Partnered in 2017
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    • Engagement Board of Directors Member
    • Outcome Acquired by Imperva
    • Partnered in 2015
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    • Engagement Board of Directors Member
    • Outcome Acquired by Cisco
    • Partnered in 2013
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    • Engagement Strategic Advisor
    • Outcome Acquired by Kroll
    • Partnered in 2011
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    • Engagement CTO
    • Outcome Acquired by AT&T
    • Partnered in 2010
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    • Engagement Founder
    • Outcome Acquired by Hewlett-Packard
    • Partnered in 2002
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    • Engagement Series A Investor
    • Outcome Acquired by BlackBerry
    • Partnered in 1996
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    *investment made through Area 51 Ventures

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