Why Are There No U.S. Offensive Cyber Unicorns?

"OPINION -- I recently had a conversation with senior intelligence community leaders about their desire to build stronger partnerships with private-sector technology companies-the so-called "Silicon Valley" ecosystem. They were asking for advice on how to engage, build relationships, and ultimately establish strategic partnerships. But the companies they were most interested in? They were largely consumer-facing platforms. Innovative, yes-but not mission-aligned. That conversation highlighted a broader, more fundamental gap I've been thinking about for a long time: Why are there no U.S. offensive cyber unicorns?"

"Companies like Anduril and SpaceX have proven that Silicon Valley-style innovation-product-focused, capital-efficient, fast-moving-can thrive in the national security space. So why hasn't that approach been applied to offensive cyber? Yes, there are legal and secrecy constraints. But those same constraints haven't stopped commercial companies from building weapons systems or highly classified ISR platforms. Take a look at the NatSec100 - a curated list of top defense and national security startups. You'll find companies working on AI, autonomy, sensing, and cybersecurity. But not a single one focused on offensive cyber. Why not?"

Senior intelligence leaders seek stronger partnerships with private-sector technology companies, but their focus often falls on consumer-facing platforms that are not mission-aligned. The national security ecosystem contains defense contractors and prominent cybersecurity firms oriented toward detection, response, and resilience, yet startups building offensive cyber tools and platforms are notably absent. Silicon Valley-style companies such as Anduril and SpaceX demonstrate that product-focused, capital-efficient innovation can succeed in national security. Legal and secrecy constraints exist, but similar constraints have not prevented commercial development of weapons systems or classified ISR platforms. Curated lists of defense startups show no offensive cyber unicorns.

Read at The Cipher Brief