WASHINGTON: IronGate Capital Advisors, one of the country’s most active defense tech venture capital firms, announced last week that its investment portfolio has grown to over 540 companies across its two funds, ranging from seed stage start-ups to later-stage growth equity companies. Since its founding in 2018, IronGate Capital Advisors has sought to be the most collaborative partner in the defense tech ecosystem by co-investing with many of the leading investors in this space.

IronGate Capital Advisors announced this portfolio milestone at their “Strength Through Innovation Summit,” hosted in collaboration with frequent co-investment partner and fellow defense tech VC firm Stellar Ventures, in Washington, DC. Other major announcements from portfolio companies presenting at the event included:

• Atomic 6 discussed their new product line Space Armor, the first radom for space that protects satellites from debris and DEW while allowing for radio frequency permeability;
• Clearspeed secured a $60 million Series D funding round for their dual-use voice-based risk assessment technology, to further their mission to build trust at speed and scale for clients across the globe;
• Delta Black announced the successful first flight of their Raider 330 Group 3 drone that will dramatically change the logistics and kinetic terrain in the INDOPACOM theatre;
• Skyfi showcased how its Earth Intelligence platform delivers real-time answers from space for government and commercial users, helping decision-makers monitor global activity and act faster.

The two-day, invite-only, sold out summit brought together top officials from the defense, intelligence, and space communities, as well as private sector innovators and investors. The annual event focuses on the critical challenges and investment opportunities facing the national security landscape. This year the conference was co-sponsored by 15 different companies led by: Albers Aerospace, AWS, Cooley, Delta Black, Stifel and Victory6.

"We are in a tech arms race where speed, innovation, and capital allocation are decisive," said Ryan Morfin, Founding Partner at IronGate Capital Advisors. "Venture capital must be more than just a source of funding; we must be strategic partners to both our portfolio companies and the government, helping them navigate the complex federal landscape to deliver solutions at the speed of relevance."

Similar to IronGate Capital Advisors’ “Founders Summit” hosted in conjunction with ARLIS at the University of Maryland earlier this year, the “Strength Through Innovation Summit” discussed strategies to achieve scale and catalyze corporate growth while providing cutting-edge defense innovation and executing on the Reindustrialization of American manufacturing.

Fireside chats and panel discussions were led by a distinguished roster of speakers, including:

• Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Christopher C. Miller, who delivered a keynote fireside chat on the future of the national security landscape and the role of private innovation;
• Devin Nunes, Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board and CEO and Chairman of Trump Media & Technology Group;
• Major General Dennis Q. Bythewood, Special Assistant to the Chief of Space Operations at USSF;
• Rt Hon Dr. Liam Fox, Chairman of the Abraham Accords Prosperity Group and former Secretary of the UK's Ministry of Defence.

"Stellar Ventures is proud to have added space as a central theme of the Strength Through Innovation Summit. By uniting government leaders, prime contractors, and entrepreneurs building the next generation of companies and capabilities, we fostered conversations needed to accelerate America’s most critical technologies," said Celeste Ford, Managing Director at Stellar Ventures, Board Chair and Founder of Stellar Solutions Inc.

About IronGate Capital Advisors: IronGate Capital Advisors is an early-stage venture capital investment firm focused on dual-use national security technologies. The firm's mission is to direct capital to the highest-performing ventures in the advanced technology arena, with a specific focus on innovations in aerospace, defense, and intelligence, and national security. IronGate's investment approach enables it to deploy capital into companies developing technologies that meet the most demanding national security requirements and strengthen the United States. More information can be found on our website at www.irongatevc.com.

Fonte: Business Wire