Scout Ventures

Scout Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm for founders who come from the military, the intelligence community and national research laboratories. It leads seed rounds and keeps capital back to follow its companies up to Series B.

What Scout Ventures offers

• Seed investment — the firm takes the lead in first funding rounds.
• Follow-on funding — reserved capital for later rounds through Series B.
• Government funding know-how — experience helping portfolio companies use non-dilutive government programmes.
• Network access — contacts across defence and national security.

Who it works with

Teams building frontier technology: AI and machine learning, quantum computing, robotics, advanced materials, security, space and aerospace, and advanced energy. It looks for companies with a working prototype and early traction.

Key facts

• Based in: Austin, Texas, with a presence in New York and Washington DC
• Team: mostly military academy graduates with service and intelligence backgrounds
• Active since: its partners have backed early-stage companies since 1999