From Ballet To Breach Prevention: How A Magician’s Son Raised $4.2M In Seed Funding For His Cybersecurity Startup
The latest in our series of articles on venture funding to non-tech founders features a former magician's assistant and ballet dancer who's building cybersecurity software with $4.2 million in seed funding.
William "Will" Cielen, son of a magician and acrobat, turned his unconventional background into a successful cybersecurity venture. Growing up on a cruise ship and in Las Vegas, Cielen eventually moved to Montreal for ballet training, eventually launching a website design business by age 15. After a hackathon experience, he dropped out of college and moved to San Francisco to start Hilt, a cybersecurity startup.
With $4.2 million in seed funding, Hilt aims to detect and prevent unusual data activity, such as data theft, for various industries. The company's unique approach focuses on monitoring data movement within cloud infrastructure, identifying anomalies, and stopping potential breaches in real-time. Hilt's investors include Array Ventures, Verdict Capital, Base10 Partners, and Brickyard, among others.
The startup's early success includes securing a $1 million to $2 million contract from a large hedge fund and a subsequent six-figure payment before launching its solution.
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