Fundraising Fox
Veteran Ventures Capital
Growth equityMcLean · Seed–Growth · 6 people tracked
Also known as Veteran Ventures
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Investment thesis
Veteran Ventures Capital invests in and supports veteran-led companies building dual-use technologies for U.S. national security. Its thesis rests on the premise that veterans are highly capable operators who are systematically overlooked by venture capital, while the defense-tech market offers large and growing demand, strong funding momentum, and accelerating exit multiples. The firm emphasizes operator-to-operator support, embedding with portfolio companies on business development, contract capture, and program-of-record positioning. It provides direct access to DoD program managers, acquisition offices, and end users to accelerate the path from demonstration to acquisition across areas such as space, cyber, autonomy, and advanced materials.
Source: firm website, verified Oct 17, 2026.
Team · 6 people
from the firm's website & public directories
Craig Jaques combines rare dual roles as General Partner and COO—pairing investment decision-making with hands-on operational management—while leading a defense and dual-use-focused firm based in Honolulu, outside traditional VC hubs.
Josh Weed, a PhD with an Air Force Academy background, focuses on defense and dual-use technologies, chairs investment committee with disciplined processes and urgency, and serves on boards like NetCentrics.
Steve Kiser prioritizes defense manufacturing and industrial capacity—backing teams that compress production from weeks to hours for critical systems, while championing veteran leadership and advocating for veterans in capital markets.
Paul Woolard leverages 30+ years in agriculture, energy and commodity-market risk expertise from a $4B+ trading firm to chair investments and personally back veteran-led dual-use space, counter-UAS, quantum and robotics
Retired four-star U.S. Army general, former JSOC and ISAF commander, founder of McChrystal Group, and author of Team of Teams; serves as an advisor to Veteran Ventures Capital.
What they invest in
from 18 of 21 portfolio companiesDefense Tech ×9Hardware ×8Deep Tech ×6Robotics ×5Advanced Manufacturing ×4AI & Machine Learning ×4Cybersecurity ×4IoT ×4
HQs:United States×18
Investments · 21 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2026 · 32025 · 22024 · 12022 · 12020 · 18 dated
Agile Space Industries manufactures in-space chemical propulsion systems including thrusters and rocket engines for satellite and spacecraft operations.
Deep TechDefense TechHardwareSpace TechDurango, US
Daudi M. Barnes(Executive Officer, Director)inDavid Cuthbertson(COO)inChris Pearson(CEO)inWilliam Francis(CCO)inKris Schaa(CFO)Kristin Schaa(Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsCaruso VenturesCommunity Access FundCORI InnovationCortado VenturesGreater Colorado Venture FundGreenline Community Ventures, Llc+4 more
BiotechAlbuquerque, US
Stephen Brueck(Executive Officer, Promoter)Emily Milsovic(Executive Officer, Director)Steven R.J. Brueck(Director)Scott L. Goldman(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Zachary Lerner(Executive Officer)
BoardDavid Blivin(Director)in
Co-investorsCottonwood Technology FundSun Mountain Capital8VCAlumni VenturesDurable Capital PartnersLockheed Martin Ventures+2 more
Asylon provides an automated perimeter security platform combining aerial drones, ground robots, and AI-powered monitoring to protect corporate campuses, logistics facilities, and critical infrastructure.
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDeep TechDefense TechHardwareRoboticsPhiladelphia, US
Damon Henry(Chief Executive Officer, Founder)inAdam Mohamed(Chief Technology Officer, Founder)inBrent McLaughlin(Chief Operating Officer, Founder)in
Co-investorsAllegion VenturesAlumni VenturesCastor VenturesDecisive PointInfodriver CapitalInsight Partners
BrightAI provides AI hardware, sensors, and drones that add continuous observability to physical infrastructure, using on-device AI models and foundation models trained on telemetry data to predict failures and guide field teams.
AI & Machine LearningIoTRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Alexander Hawkinson(Executive Officer, Director)Nathan Hanks(Executive Officer)inGolda Hartman(Executive Officer)inKiran Bharwani(Executive Officer)inAlex Hawkinson(Founder)
BoardRussell Gehrett(Director)
Co-investorsInspired CapitalKhosla VenturesBoxGroupUpfront VenturesVSC VenturesZero Infinity Partners+2 more
Cambium develops high-performance advanced materials using AI-driven molecular design and agile domestic manufacturing for extreme-condition applications across aerospace, space, industrial, and defense sectors.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechNew Materials
Simon Waddington(Founder)in
Co-investors8VCAlumni VenturesGaingelsJ17 CapitalKern Venture GroupMana Ventures+5 more
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Grist Mill operates a commercial data infrastructure platform that helps government and defense agencies access and integrate trusted third-party data for national security missions.
B2B MarketplacesData & InfrastructureDefense TechGovTech
Dr. Jennifer Obernier(CEO)Jeff(Founding Member, leads engineering and operations)
Co-investorsFirst In
Haven makes Gen4, a commercial access control system with a built-in emergency lockdown mode, sold as a single edge-based door device that replaces maglocks and electric strikes and installs faster than traditional systems.
CybersecurityHardwareIoT
Hidden Level develops advanced RF (radio frequency) sensing technology for defense, aviation, and intelligence applications.
Data & InfrastructureDeep TechDefense TechGovTechHardwareSyracuse, US
Jeffrey A. Cole(Executive Officer, Director)inJeffrey Cole(Founder)inBrad Garber(Executive Officer)inGary Dominicos(Founder)inTim Graham(Executive Officer)inMike Goll(Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsBooz Allen VenturesClaritas CapitalDRONE FUNDFounders Circle CapitalIn-Q-TelIronGate Capital Advisors+16 more
Hybron manufactures composites using proprietary technology, positioning itself as a U.S.-based alternative to overseas production.
Advanced ManufacturingNew Materials
Brennan Lieu(Founder)inAaron Guo(Cofounder)in
Co-investorsFirst InLorimer VenturesZEADCVC (Data Collective)
NVTS designs and manufactures thermal imaging and driver vision enhancement systems for military vehicles and defense applications.
Defense TechGovTechHardwareNorth Kingstown, US
Phase Four developed in-space electric and multi-mode satellite propulsion; its technology assets were sold in 2025.
Hawthorne, US
STEPHEN KISER(Executive Officer, Director)inSimon Halpern(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardStewart Alsop(Director)inTHOMAS J.A. LAVIN(Director)JAMES BRIDENSTINE(Director)
Co-investorsAlsop Louie PartnersAlumni VenturesAutochrome VenturesIndustrious VenturesWestern Technology InvestmentDolby Family Ventures+1 more
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Tidal Cyber develops tools and services that help enterprises adopt MITRE ATT&CK framework for threat-informed defense.
CybersecurityEnterprise Software
Rick Gordonin
Co-investorsAccess Venture PartnersBright Pixel CapitalDreamit VenturesGlasswing VenturesStoneMill VenturesTFX Capital+10 more
Turion Space builds space infrastructure spanning maneuverable spacecraft, mission planning software, and orbital logistics such as refueling and servicing, with capabilities for space domain awareness and rendezvous proximity operations.
Advanced ManufacturingDeep TechDefense TechSpace TechLos Angeles, US
Ryan Westerdahl(Founder)inTyler James Pierce(Founder)inPatryk Wiatr(Founder)inTyler Pierce(Founder)
Co-investorsAngel Collective Opportunity FundAsymmetry VenturesAurelia FoundryBacchus Venture CapitalBeyond Earth VenturesCenter15 Capital+40 more
Vantage Robotics designs and manufactures American-made small UAVs (drones), including the pocket-sized Trace nano drone and the Vesper drone, along with a rugged flight controller, for defense, security, and inspection use.
Defense TechHardwareIoTRoboticsSan Francisco, US
Tobin Fisher(Executive Officer, Director)in
Co-investorsACTAI VenturesAlumni VenturesCostella KirschRefinery VentureRuvento Ventures Pte Ltd.Sand Hill Angels+1 more
Vatn designs and manufactures low-cost, modular autonomous underwater vehicles with proprietary autonomy, navigation, and control software for undersea ISR, logistics, sensing, and payload delivery missions.
Defense TechHardwareRoboticsProvidence, US
Frederick Mills(Founder)inNelson Mills(Founder)inGeoff Manchester(Founder)inDan Hendrix(Founder)Freddie Mills(Founder)
BoardThomas Hendrix(Director)in
Co-investorsAirbus VenturesBackswing VenturesBeyond CapitalBlue CollectiveBVVCCapital Factory+17 more
VERTIX Co. sources and supplies high-quality raw materials and machinery for the foundry and steel-making industries, serving clients in automotive, construction, aerospace, and heavy machinery sectors.
Advanced ManufacturingCrypto & Web3CybersecurityData & InfrastructureBuffalo, US
Legrand Richard Groves(Executive Officer, Director)inJames Regenor(Executive Officer, Director)
Co-investorsTechstars
Other
Tracked investments with no reachable website or further public details — typically companies that wound down, renamed, or were absorbed.
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesTurion Space · latimes.com · Jun 22, 2026
Hybron · hybron.com · Apr 9, 2026
Tidal · finsmes.com · Sep 3, 2025
Asylon Robotics · asylonrobotics.com · Jul 23, 2025
BrightAI · bright.ai · Jul 18, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Veteran Ventures Capital made?
- Veteran Ventures Capital has 21 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited, including 5 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Veteran Ventures Capital invest at?
- Veteran Ventures Capital invests at the Seed, Series A, Growth stages.
- What is Veteran Ventures Capital's typical check size?
- Veteran Ventures Capital typically writes checks of $50K – $250K.
- What sectors does Veteran Ventures Capital focus on?
- Veteran Ventures Capital focuses on Cybersecurity, Data & Infrastructure, Deep Tech, Defense Tech, Enterprise Software, Hardware, New Materials, Robotics, SaaS, Space Tech.
- Where is Veteran Ventures Capital located?
- Veteran Ventures Capital is headquartered in McLean, US.
- Does Veteran Ventures Capital lead rounds?
- Yes, Veteran Ventures Capital leads investment rounds.
- Who does Veteran Ventures Capital co-invest with?
- Veteran Ventures Capital most often shares deals with Gaingels, Washington Harbour Partners, 8VC, among 62 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamInvestor Connect - 754 - Derren Burrell of Veteran Ventures Capital
Hall Martin · Derren Burrell
Derren Burrell - Air Force Veteran, Founder Veteran Ventures Capital
VeteranCrowd · Derren Burrell
Veteran Ventures Capital's Founder Derren Burrell
Family Office Insights US · Derren Burrell
Aspiring VC #20: Derren Burrell (Veteran Ventures Capital)
MassVentures · Derren Burrell
Long Live the Veteran Brotherhood with Derren Burrell - Air Force - Veteran Ventures Capital, LLC
Bottle Breacher · Derren Burrell
Images
Co-investors · 1
Hyperplane is a venture capital firm that writes first checks into early-stage companies applying AI to industry workflows, infrastructure, and the physical world.
Firms observed investing alongside Veteran Ventures Capital, from public investor directories. Shared companies are the overlap with Veteran Ventures Capital's recorded portfolio.
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