Nick Bilogorskiy

Nick Bilogorskiy
Микола Олександрович Білогорський
Born (1981-06-27) June 27, 1981
Kharkiv, Ukraine
EducationSimon Fraser University
Occupations
  • computer security expert
  • startup founder
  • nonprofit founder
Years active2010–present
Title
Awards
Order of Merit (Ukraine) 3rd degree[1]

Nick O. Bilogorskiy (Ukrainian: Микола Олександрович Білогорський; Russian: Николай Александрович Белогорский; born on 27 June 1981 in Kharkiv) is a Ukrainian American cybersecurity expert,[2][3][4] executive,[5] entrepreneur,[6][7] co-founder and chair of the Nova Ukraine nonprofit.[8][9][10][11] In 2022, he received the Order of Merit (Ukraine) 3rd degree.[1][12] In 2025, Ukrainska Pravda listed him #2 in the Society category of the “UP 100: Power of Influence” rankings.[13][14]

Education and career

Early life and education

Bilogorskiy was born to a high-school teacher father and university professor mother, who divorced when he was six. In a 2015 interview with Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne TV, he recalled that his mother immigrated to Canada when he was 16 and that he subsequently joined her there.[15] Bilogorskiy holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, BC.[16][17]

Career in technology

Bilogorskiy joined Facebook in 2010 as the company's first antivirus analyst, tasked with combating the Koobface virus, which spread through Facebook messages and infected millions of users. He worked closely with the company's Chief Security Officer and collaborated with law enforcement agencies to identify the virus creators, who were later traced to Saint Petersburg, Russia.[18][2] After Facebook, Bilogorskiy co-founded Cyphort,[16][17] a cybersecurity startup that developed second-generation antivirus products using behavioral analysis rather than signature-based detection. Cyphort's clients included Netflix and Yelp. The company was acquired by Juniper Networks in 2017.[19] In May 2019, Bilogorskiy joined Google as a director of Trust and Safety and worked at Google until 2023.[5][20] He presented his work on computer security at the RSA Conference in 2018 and 2019.[16]

Venture capital career

In early 2024, Bilogorskiy co-founded Dnipro.VC, a venture capital partnership based in Palo Alto, California that invests in early-stage companies developing artificial intelligence and cybersecurity technologies. The fund focuses on startups founded or co-founded by Ukrainian entrepreneurs.[6][21] In a March 2025 interview, Bilogorskiy recommended that Ukrainian startups show evidence of prior funding success when approaching international investors, reflecting his approach to post-war economic development.[7]

Advocacy and fundraising for Ukraine

In 2014 after the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Bilogorskiy co-founded Maydan SF to organize the Ukrainian diaspora in the San Francisco Bay Area and raise awareness about the situation in Ukraine.[22] Later in 2014 he co-founded Nova Ukraine, a 501(c)(3) organization (nonprofit) that raised funds for Ukraine and ran projects there to help vulnerable populations, internally displaced people and wounded soldiers who needed treatment.[23][7][24] Bilogorskiy and Nova Ukraine also organized cultural events for the Ukrainian community in the SF Bay Area. Since early February 2022 and after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Bilogorskiy and Nova Ukraine organized street rallies to support Ukraine[9][25][26] then performed fundraising and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.[27][28] Nova Ukraine’s IRS Form 990 shows $147 million raised between 2022 and 2024.[11] The Focus magazine reported in 2025 that since 2022 Nova Ukraine has provided humanitarian aid worth over $130 million to assist people of Ukraine with food, water, medicine, and other critical supplies.[29]

Awards and distinctions

Bilogorskiy's work in both cybersecurity and humanitarian efforts has garnered recognition from multiple organizations. In 2020, Forbes Ukraine ranked him 31st on their "40 Global Ukrainians" list, which recognizes Ukrainian professionals making an impact internationally.[30] His humanitarian work through Nova Ukraine received official recognition from the Ukrainian government in 2022, when President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded him the Order of Merit 3rd degree.[1][12] The organization itself was later recognized by Focus magazine in 2025, which ranked Nova Ukraine as the fifth most impactful volunteer organization among 100 influential Ukrainians.[29] In November 2025, Ukrainska Pravda included Bilogorskiy in their annual "UP 100: Power of Influence" ranking, placing him second in the Society category. The ranking highlights Ukrainians whose work is considered influential in shaping the country's future.[13][14]

Controversies

In the Spring of 2022, after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine Bilogorskiy publicly urged the San Jose City Council to terminate the city’s sister-city relationship with Ekaterinburg, Russia, arguing that maintaining the relationship was inappropriate given Russian atrocities in Ukraine. Local media reported Bilogorskiy describing the continued tie as “shameful and disgusting,” part of broader debates among local officials and community members about displays of solidarity with Ukraine.[31] Following public debate, the San José City Council voted to retain the relationship but issue a letter expressing peace and support for residents of Ekaterinburg.[31][32]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Decree of the President of Ukraine №595/2022 about Recognition with State Awards of Ukraine". President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Official Internet Site (in Ukrainian). August 23, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Richmond, Riva (November 10, 2010). "Attacker That Sharpened Facebook's Defenses". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  3. ^ Pagliery, Jose (January 8, 2015). "Did you visit HuffPo last week? You might have a virus". CNN Money.
  4. ^ Edward F. O'Brien (October 2, 2017). "Expert Skeptical 'Dark Overlord' Responsible For Flathead Cyber Attack". Montana Public Radio.
  5. ^ a b "Nick Bilogorskiy becomes the new director of security at Google". AIN Capital. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Dnipro VC Closes 18 Deals: How They Pick Startups — interview". Scroll.media. September 8, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Zhakhalov, Yaroslav (March 26, 2025). "'By 2028, Ukraine can overtake Israel and become a startup hub'. Nick Bilogorskiy on the USA, Google and investments" [«До 2028 року Україна може обігнати Ізраїль і стати центром стартапів». Нік Білогорський про США, Google та інвестиції] (in Ukrainian). DOU.
  8. ^ Soldak, Katya. "Ukraine Aid Bill: Sense Of Urgency Brought To Capitol Hill". Forbes. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Ukraine Supporters Rally Sunday in San Francisco". CBS News Bay Area (KPIX). San Francisco, CA. February 20, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  10. ^ Gabbert, Lorraine (June 7, 2022). "San Jose official wants split with Russian sister city". San Jose Spotlight. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  11. ^ a b "Nonprofit Explorer: Nova Ukraine". ProPublica. 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "President of Ukraine Recognized Two Californians with the Order of Merit" (in Russian). Slavic Sacramento. September 25, 2023.
  13. ^ a b "«Українська правда» оголосила сотню українців, які формують майбутнє країни". Детектор медіа (in Ukrainian). November 27, 2025. Так, до категорії «Суспільство» ввійшли, зокрема, експерт з кібербезпеки Нік Білогорський…
  14. ^ a b "УП100: Межа вибору / Вибір на межі". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). November 26, 2025.
  15. ^ Suspilne TV (July 7, 2015). "Подорожні. Нік Білогорський: З Україною на краю світу" [Travelers. Nick Bilogorskiy: With Ukraine at the Edge of the World] (in Ukrainian). UA:Перший (Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine). Retrieved January 1, 2026 – via YouTube.
  16. ^ a b c "Nick Bilogorskiy at RSA". RSA Conference. November 7, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Information on Nick Bilogorskiy" (in Ukrainian). Forbes UA. September 1, 2020.
  18. ^ Burdina, Eleonora (December 23, 2020). "'Anyone can be hacked. Even me'. Interview with Nick Bilogorskiy, Director Security Intelligence at Google" [«Взломать могут всех. Даже меня». Интервью с Ником Белогорским, Director Security Intelligence в Google]. DOU.ua (in Russian).
  19. ^ "Juniper Networks to acquire AI-powered security startup Cyphort". SiliconANGLE. September 1, 2017. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  20. ^ Ivanova, Kateryna (December 2020). "Unsuccessful success". Forbes (in Ukrainian). 2020 (6).
  21. ^ "PeopleForce raises $5.4M in Pre-Series A to expand in Ukraine and Europe". AIN.ua. April 16, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
  22. ^ Shevchenko, Khrystyna; Chvak, Vitaly (February 9, 2020). "Nova Ukraine : How Ukrainians abroad are helping Ukraine" (in Ukrainian). Voice of America Ukrainian.
  23. ^ "Volunteer Organizations that Still Help Ukraine" (in Ukrainian). Ukrinform. February 25, 2021.
  24. ^ Larsen, Senja (November 28, 2022). "Teknologia | Maailmassa on käynnissä ensimmäinen avoimen lähdekoodin sota, sanoo ukrainalainen Piilaakso-johtaja". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved July 2, 2023.
  25. ^ de Castillo, Amanda (March 4, 2022). "'The world is connected': Silicon Valley pulls products, cuts service and restricts access to Russia". ABC7 News.
  26. ^ McSweeny, Terry (October 11, 2022). "Hundreds Gather in SF Condemning Russia's New Wave of Attacks Across Ukraine". NBC Bay Area.
  27. ^ "Jets Donate $1 Million to Aid Ukrainian Relief Efforts". New York Jets. April 5, 2022.
  28. ^ Davis, Rachel (July 7, 2022). "San Jose Donates more than $1 Million in Life-saving Safety Equipment to Assist First Responders in Ukraine". San Jose City Council.
  29. ^ a b Сухраков, Андрій (August 24, 2025). "Рейтинг найвпливовіших українців 2025: ТОП 100". Focus magazine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved August 29, 2025.
  30. ^ ""40 Global Ukrainians"" (in Ukrainian). Forbes UA. September 1, 2020.
  31. ^ a b Gabbert, Lorraine (June 7, 2022). "San Jose official wants split with Russian sister city". San Jose Spotlight. Retrieved December 28, 2025.
  32. ^ Fuentes, Zach (March 9, 2022). "San Jose votes to keep Sister City relationship with Russian City after talks of cutting ties". ABC7 San Francisco.
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