Cognition

Profile

Cognition is a venture capital firm based in the United States, founded by former CrowdStrike executives Elia Zaitsev, Gur Talpaz, and Tayler Sipperly. Zaitsev, the former Global CTO of CrowdStrike, brings extensive experience in AI, machine learning, and cybersecurity. Talpaz and Sipperly also bring a strong venture track record from their time with CrowdStrike and their earlier fund, Brightmind. The team is noted for its deep industry insight, particularly in cybersecurity and AI, setting Cognition apart in its strategic focus.

Cognition focuses on investing in cybersecurity platforms designed for the agentic AI era, which addresses new attack surfaces created by AI agents and autonomous systems. The firm targets seed and Series A stages, with check sizes averaging $6 million for seed and $15 million for Series A. While their main geographical focus is implied to be US-centric, an explicit geographical focus is not publicly specified. Cognition's portfolio is expected to include concentrated investments wherein the firm takes significant ownership and board positions.

Notable investments from the team's prior endeavor at Brightmind include SGNL, an identity-security startup that exited to CrowdStrike for $740 million. This exit exemplifies the team's pattern recognition and impactful investment strategy, and Cognition aims to replicate such success in the agentic AI cybersecurity realm. The firm's distinct value lies in its leadership's firsthand experience with security platform acquisition and development.