Methodology for the Fortune Cyber 60 (2027)
The 2026–27 Fortune Cyber 60 recognizes 60 of the most important venture-backed cybersecurity startups that have not completed an IPO, acquisition, or other significant exit. Presented by Lightspeed Venture Partners in partnership with Fortune, the fourth annual list is alphabetized into three groups of 20: early-stage, early-growth, and growth-stage companies.
To construct this year’s list, Lightspeed evaluated over 300 cybersecurity startups, initially sorting companies by annual recurring revenue and current- and prior-year growth rates. Lightspeed then validated self-reported data and reviewed each company’s business operations. Lightspeed partners also nominated companies based on proprietary research, consultation with our CISO Council, and analysis of the cybersecurity market. The final list was reviewed and validated by Fortune, and Lightspeed investments are identified in the final list.
The accompanying Lightspeed Cyber60 Survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 200 U.S. CISOs at companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue, between September 4 and September 14, 2026, using an email invitation and an online survey. Results have a margin of error of ±6.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.