At the Jerusalem Post Washington Gala, Katherine Hennessey, head of Government Services at NightDragon, shared her insights into the opportunity for innovation happening in countries like Israel around cybersecurity and national defense.
NightDragon is a growth-stage venture capital firm specializing in cybersecurity, national security, and defense investments. It was founded by cybersecurity luminary Dave DeWalt, the former CEO of McAfee, FireEye, and Documentum, and includes a team of strategic operators that support its companies in scaling and driving impact.
Part of NightDragon’s view as an investment firm is to help enable the US government and its allies with critical defense and cybersecurity technologies to ensure national security and secure our world for tomorrow. “Our government operators and mission owners must have access to the best technology, as it is vital for national security,” she said at the event.
As part of that mission, NightDragon has invested in Israeli companies, including, most recently, in quantum computing start-up Classiq, which raised one of the largest and most significant rounds in quantum computing history. “We find great value in collaborating with Israeli firms,” she said.
Hennessey described how she leverages her decades of experience to support companies as they look to sell to the government, ensuring that the US government and its allies have access to the most cutting-edge and impactful innovations. Before her private sector role, Hennessey spent her early career in the US government, working in the Senate on issues like rebuilding and strengthening American embassies after the Dar es Salaam and Nairobi bombings. She believes this shaped her firm view that “our government operators and mission owners must have access to the best technology, as it is vital for national security.”
Hennessey explained that her role mainly involves assisting NightDragon’s portfolio companies in establishing and growing their sales presence within the US government, as well as in state and local governments and international government agencies. She stated, “Every day I’m in Washington helping our companies transform into the kind of companies the Defense Department wants to do business with. Companies not founded in the US often need to meet additional requirements, which we can help with.”
Regarding the regulatory hurdles of entering US government markets, Hennessey was straightforward: “You cannot just do it in a vacuum. What was true several years ago may not be true now.” Nonetheless, she noted that the US is increasingly eager to adopt Israeli innovations and accelerate tech integration, with more routes available for onboarding early-stage technologies. Her advice to founders was clear: “Think about these hoops as you’re forming your company. Don’t wait, or you may have to undo things. And hire a few good advisers and listen to them.”
Written in collaboration with NightDragon