Tidal Cyber, a Virginia-based cybersecurity company focused on redefining how organizations defend against real-world threats, has announced the close of a $10 million Series A funding round. The investment was led by Bright Pixel Capital, with continued support from a strong group of existing backers including USAA, Squadra, Capital One, Veteran Ventures, Task Force X, and Ultratech. This new round of funding marks a significant milestone for the company, providing the resources needed to accelerate product development, expand its team, and deepen its impact across the cybersecurity landscape.
Founded by three veterans of MITRE, Tidal Cyber is built on decades of experience in threat-informed defense, adversary emulation, and public-private collaboration. The leadership team includes Rick Gordon, Richard Struse, and Frank Duff—each of whom has played a pivotal role in shaping some of the most influential cybersecurity frameworks and initiatives in recent history. Their collective background spans government service, startup incubation, and enterprise security, giving Tidal Cyber a rare blend of strategic insight and technical depth.
Rick Gordon, the company’s CEO, brings a multifaceted career that includes scaling MITRE’s Center for Threat-Informed Defense, launching the ATT&CK Evaluations program, and leading the development of MITRE ATT&CK Defender training. His earlier roles include serving as COO of Lookingglass Cyber Solutions, working as an investment banker at Bear Stearns, and serving as a U.S. Navy submarine officer. Richard Struse, the CTO, is widely recognized for his work in threat intelligence sharing, having created the STIX and TAXII standards and served as CTO of the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center. Frank Duff, Chief Innovation Officer, founded the ATT&CK Evaluations program and has led efforts to bridge the gap between government cyber operations and commercial technology adoption.
Together, this team has built Tidal Cyber around a central idea: that cybersecurity should be driven by real-world adversary behavior, not just theoretical models or generic threat feeds. The company’s platform is designed to help organizations measure and improve the effectiveness of their security stack by aligning it with actual tactics, techniques, and procedures used by threat actors. This approach, known as Threat-Led Defense, extends beyond traditional threat intelligence, enabling security teams to make informed decisions based on how effectively their tools and processes withstand known adversary behaviors.
The funding will enable Tidal Cyber to expand its capabilities and reach more organizations that are grappling with increasingly complex and rapidly evolving threats. As cyberattacks become more targeted and sophisticated, the need for proactive, behavior-based defense strategies is growing. Tidal Cyber’s platform helps security teams operationalize the MITRE ATT&CK framework, turning it from a reference model into a living part of daily operations. This means organizations can not only identify gaps in their defenses but also prioritize investments and actions based on the threats that matter most to them.
Tidal Cyber’s long-term vision is to build a comprehensive platform that integrates cyber threat intelligence, adversary behavior modeling, and security performance measurement into a unified system. By doing so, the company aims to shift the industry’s mindset from reactive threat management to proactive, threat-informed defense. This transformation is significant as organizations face mounting pressure to demonstrate the value of their cybersecurity investments—not just in terms of compliance, but in terms of actual risk reduction and operational resilience.
With the support of its investors and the expertise of its founding team, Tidal Cyber is well-positioned to lead this shift. The company’s approach resonates with both public and private sector organizations seeking more effective ways to defend against modern threats. As it continues to grow, Tidal Cyber is helping to redefine what it means to be secure in a world where adversaries are constantly evolving and where defense must be as dynamic and intelligent as the threats it seeks to stop.
KEY QUOTES:
“We see strong traction and a need for threat-led defense as more organizations move beyond assumptions, CVE-counting, and checkbox compliance. Tidal Cyber flips the security model putting real adversary behavior at the center of defense to enable a proactive, continuous, threat-led defense.”
Rick Gordon, CEO of Tidal Cyber
“Tidal Cyber brings a new level of clarity and precision to security strategy by focusing on adversary behavior and how they operate. Their platform exposes true coverage exposures and helps organizations defend against the threats that really matter. We’re proud to support their growth as they scale their product and bring Threat-Led Defense to the forefront of cybersecurity.”
Marcos Castro Osoro, Board Member at Bright Pixel Capital
