Metasploit creator and renowned security expert HD Moore says he will leave his post as chief research officer on Jan. 29 for a new venture capital firm that aims to help early-stage security startups.

Moore, who joined Rapid7 six years ago, said in a blog post today that the timing was right for the move. "Late last year, a friend of mine offered me an inspiring opportunity. After some reflection, I realized that the role he described was a natural evolution of my career in this industry," he wrote. 

He plans to continue working on the Metasploit Framework, the open-source penetration testing platform. Rapid7 has grown from just under 100 employees to more than 700 during Moore's tenure, and he called his time there "the best job I have ever had."

"We have surpassed every goal that I set when I joined in 2009. Metasploit is thriving. Our research continues to shine light on exposures both wide and deep," he said, and Rapid7 has made a name for itself in open source development and as an enterprise security brand.

Read Moore's blog announcement here and Dark Reading's 2006 profile piece on Moore here.