PS27 Ventures’ Post

I first invested in ID.me at a $7.5 million valuation. Now it's at $1.5 billion. Then called TroopSwap, it was almost like “Groupon for the military” - helping veterans safely access discounts and perks digitally. As an Army infantry officer, founder Blake Hall saw how veterans were nearly twice as likely to suffer identity theft as the general population. With my background in Defense Contracting and Intelligence, I immediately saw the value. Today it’s a universal identity-as-a-service platform relied upon by: • Over 125 million Americans • With 500+ employees • Doing around $150 million in ARR Since the early round, the company has grown nearly 200x - an incredible journey to witness. If you’re an early stage tech founder, I bring proven experience helping seed-stage startups scale with strategic guidance and growth capital. Are you building a potentially industry-disrupting company? I’d love to hear what you’re up to! P.S: Want to avoid the biggest mistakes your competitors are making? Check out my free Series A Playbook email course for the step-by-step play to dodge those common blunders and secure a $10m+ A round.

What does it take for a defense tech startup to make it in the DoD? This week on the pod, I was joined by 2x Olympian, former Navy SEAL, and founder of Harpoon Ventures, Larsen Jensen, for an inspiring discussion on the future of the defense tech market. We talked about: 👉 How he approaches risk as an investor 👉 The reality of selling to Uncle Sam and why so many startups fail 👉 Why Government DNA is vital to investment success This was my first time interviewing an Olympian, and let me tell you, Larsen did not disappoint! Tune in here: https://lnkd.in/dZcg4U8p

The folks coming out of these #IDF cyber warfare and intelligence units are pretty amazing. We back them. We believe in them. And what they build is jaw dropping. But they are not the only ingredient that makes #Israel's innovation ecosystem a global destination for enterprise technology. The army teaches discipline, team building, leadership, and resilience and not just behind a computer. In the portfolio we have paratroopers, we have tank commanders, we have field intel officers, we have pilots, we have naval personnel, and we have combat engineers. Together, the full package, working together, is what makes this place such a dynamic market in which to invest now and into the future. Joule Ventures I Proudly investing in Israel's most compelling enterprise technology businesses https://lnkd.in/eJwcnJ4k

We highly recommend this program for #veteran and #military spouse entrepreneurs. Still not convinced? 🤔 Be sure to read our President & Founder's Barrett Y. Bogue thoughts on what he learned participating in Veterans in Residence (VIR). "It's hard to imagine where Evocati PR would be today if not for VIR. In fact, I don't want to imagine it. The network of peers, space to grow, and knowledge gained were invaluable." Learn More About VIR 👉 https://lnkd.in/gpdZcCWy #VeteransInResidence #Entrepreneurship

Chad Hardesty is right startups and other companies should pay close attention to the NDAA. This document lives as the source of where funding and the overall direction the department is headed. Some keys things however: 1) The total sum of cash can be lifted and shifted between efforts outside of this NDAA up to 25% in some cases 2) Some funded streams are precoordinated and they already have a contractor in mind to spend. Love it or hate it that's what congressionals do. 3) by the time it's codified in the NDAA is normally late to need.

Where can dozens of Veterans and military spouses come together to build a #connected #thriving #community? If you're in the #DMV, you can join ZeroMils and the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce on March 20, from 5 to 7 PM at ThunderCat Technology HQ in Reston, Virginia -- to network, share fellowship, and get to #MilitaryThriving! We are excited to be a part of this second of an enduring series of quarterly networking events with the NoVA Chamber, sharing the journeys of 4 successful Vet Entrepreneurs. This panel description says it all. "Small businesses are the engine of our economy, and they are the engine for change in communities like Northern Virginia. According to SBA, there are more than two million Veteran owned small businesses in America, employing 6 million people; and Veterans are 45% more likely to own a small business than civilians. Moreover, 14% of Veterans own a franchise, making them twice as likely to own one than our civilian counterparts. All hiring, all growth and all impact is achieved at the local level, and Veterans as small business owners, can be at the forefront of change as it relates to perceptions about Veterans and the ability to influence propensity to serve amongst our next generation of warfighters." Tom Deierlein, CEO, @Thundercat Technology Dwight Hunt, former CEO, Octo Consulting and B3Group Jo McCabe, owner, Mr. Handyman of Northern Virginia - Arlington to Haymarket Lawrence Nunn, Co-founder & CEO, Cyberspacial Moderator: ZeroMils

💼 To all the 🪖 military spouses and veterans who are building their own businesses, I see you and I'm inspired by your journey! You know better than anyone that success doesn't come easy, and it takes determination, grit, and the ability to adapt to any situation - a true military spirit. 🏋️♀️ Each day, you're not just building a business; you're creating a legacy. 🌱 You're showing your families and communities what it means to turn challenges into opportunities. 💡 But you don't always have to do it alone. There are networks and resources out there to support you. The Barclays Veteran Founders Initiative, for example, is dedicated to helping veterans and their spouses on their entrepreneurial journeys 📚 When the road gets tough, remember this quote from Bear 🐻 Grylls: "In life, there are three important things to think about - courage, kindness, and never giving up." 💪 Have courage to face the unknown, show kindness to those around you, and never give up. Together, we can achieve great things. 🌈 Keep pushing forward, leverage the support around you, and always believe in yourself. Here's to your continued success! 🎉🌟 https://lnkd.in/e_GCpq7h. #VeteranOwned #SpouseOwned #Entrepreneurship #Support #Motivation #Inspiration

We continue to see a rise in #defensetech investment highlighted by Jai Das citing PitchBook $9bln+ invested ytd in the category. War will be profoundly changed by #artificialintellgience and #generativeai preparing for an onrush of innovation while simultaneously causing destabilization. Consequences are just beginning to be understood. Balance between soldier and software will shift from, “human in the loop” to “human on the loop”. Faster combat and fewer pauses. While moral issues are profound, regulators will find it hard to reign in #bigtech given competitive dynamics with #china. In short, it’s likely we’re entering a new era of profit and war and where opportunity exists (and massive #federalbudgets), #investment dollars will flow. The sector has traditionally been neglected by VC; appetite is shifting significantly with leading firms organizing efforts for investment. The ecosystem will continue to develop rapidly as the threat landscape widens. Bank of America DefenseTech Team: #aerospace/#autonomous Fritz Franz, Andrew Chassin, Andrew Green, Peter N. Knickerbocker #cyber Rajeet Chatterjee, Anant Mahajan Industrial #software Robert Michlovich, Katherine Hele #space #economy Michael Pierre #venturecapital #growthcapital #entrepreneuer #founder #investmentbanking #privateequity #defense #dod #defensetech #military

Transitioning from a military career to entrepreneurship is a journey marked by courage, determination and grit. As veterans embark on this new path, one of the critical challenges they often face is securing the capital needed to turn their business ideas into reality. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bJsirx #VeteranOwnedBusiness #VeteranBusinessOwner #VeteranBusiness

This piece from WSJ has been making the defense tech rounds since yesterday and probably rightly so - it’s fascinating to see the numbers. However, there’s a slightly subtle but vitally important difference between “DOD should spend more $s on VC backed companies” as the North Star versus “DOD should acquire and field the best technology and product for the warfighter” as the North Star. Not saying there can’t be overlap but it’s a difference we should be cognizant of. One puts the venture industry (or primes) at the center. One puts the warfighter at the center. https://lnkd.in/ePYtEZNJ