First In
Washington, D.C.-based veteran-led security-technology venture fund; co-investor, alongside Core4ce and Veteran Ventures Capital, in Grist Mill Exchange's $5M raise (April 2022).
First In (wearefirstin.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based venture fund founded in 2020 by Renny McPherson, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer and RAND national-security researcher who founded RedOwl Analytics (acquired by Forcepoint/Raytheon, 2017). The firm states: 'First In empowers entrepreneurs who secure our freedom. We invest in companies at the forefront of modern security for the enterprise and for society,' investing in cybersecurity, defense technology, and data-driven security platforms across Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Data, Communications & Networking, Cybersecurity, Space Systems, Strategic Systems, and Unmanned Systems. It closed an initial ~$17M Fund I in June 2021, and in March 2026 announced the final closing of a $148M SBIC Critical Technologies Fund 3.
Overview
- Firm
- First In
- Headquarters
- Washington, D.C.
- Founded
- 2020
- AUM
- Stages
- Pre-Seed, Seed
- Thesis
- First In (wearefirstin.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based venture fund founded in 2020 by Renny McPherson, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer and RAND national-security researcher who founded RedOwl Analytics (acquired by Forcepoint/Raytheon, 2017). The firm states: 'First In empowers entrepreneurs who secure our freedom. We invest in companies at the forefront of modern security for the enterprise and for society,' investing in cybersecurity, defense technology, and data-driven security platforms across Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Data, Communications & Networking, Cybersecurity, Space Systems, Strategic Systems, and Unmanned Systems. It closed an initial ~$17M Fund I in June 2021, and in March 2026 announced the final closing of a $148M SBIC Critical Technologies Fund 3.
Partners0
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Frequently asked
- What is First In?
- First In (wearefirstin.com) is a Washington, D.C.-based venture fund founded in 2020 by Renny McPherson, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer and RAND national-security researcher who founded RedOwl Analytics (acquired by Forcepoint/Raytheon, 2017). The firm states: 'First In empowers entrepreneurs who secure our freedom. We invest in companies at the forefront of modern security for the enterprise and for society,' investing in cybersecurity, defense technology, and data-driven security platforms across Advanced Manufacturing, AI & Data, Communications & Networking, Cybersecurity, Space Systems, Strategic Systems, and Unmanned Systems. It closed an initial ~$17M Fund I in June 2021, and in March 2026 announced the final closing of a $148M SBIC Critical Technologies Fund 3.
- What stages does First In invest at?
- First In invests at Pre-Seed, Seed.
Sources & citations3
Each claim links to its underlying source. Confidence reflects how directly the source supports the claim.
- 1
First In is a Washington, D.C.-based venture fund founded in 2020 by Renny McPherson, investing in security technology across seven focus areas.
First In: HomepageVerified2026-08-08 - 2
First In closed its initial fund with approximately $17 million in total capital in June 2021.
PRWeb: First In Announces Initial Closing of Fund I to Invest in Cybersecurity and Data Intelligence InnovationVerified2021-06-21 - 3
First In announced the final closing of its SBIC Critical Technologies Fund 3 with $148 million of investable capital in March 2026.
BusinessWire (via FinancialContent): First In Announces Final Closing of SBIC Critical Technologies Fund 3 with $148 Million of Investable CapitalVerified2026-03-05