special-operations
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Athenix Solutions Group and the Case for the Middleweight
Athenix assembled specialists in software, intelligence, and mission rehearsal around a bet on the middle of the defense market. Its September 2026 acquisition by Detroit Defense gives that bet a new setting.
Andy Yakulis Left an Army Pension to Put Yesterday’s Weapons on Notice
After 18 years in uniform, the special operations veteran chose a startup over a near-certain military retirement. At Vector, he is betting that drones, doctrine and training must learn on the same clock.
Vector Sells the Pentagon a Subscription to Modern Warfare
A 14-month-old drone maker out of Salt Lake City wants to sell the U.S. military warfare the way Adobe sells Photoshop - as a service, updated constantly, billed like a subscription.
Andrew Herr
Andrew Herr is the founder and CEO of Flykitt (and its parent company Fount), a health and human-performance company that builds systems to eliminate jet lag by targeting circadian disruption and travel-induced inflammation. Before entrepreneurship, he spent over a decade advising the U.S. military on human performance and biotech strategy from the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment, working with Navy SEALs and fighter pilots. Holding three Georgetown master's degrees and twice named an Army 'Mad Scientist,' Herr has turned the performance secrets of special operators into products trusted by pro sports teams, executives, and everyday travelers.
Ross Hangebrauck
Ross Hangebrauck is a General Partner at BVVC (Bravo Victor Venture Capital), a seed-stage fund backing mission-first founders building technologies at the intersection of national security and commercial innovation. A former U.S. Navy SEAL turned entrepreneur, he co-founded Hover Inc. in 2011 — a platform that turns smartphone photos into 3D home models — raising $142M and reaching 12 million homes scanned. After six years as a startup CEO and a stint managing international VC operations at Almaz Capital, he joined BVVC to back companies operating across defense, autonomy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing. He brings a rare operator-to-investor arc: from deploying in operational theaters worldwide to architecting portfolio companies that he says must deliver 'integration, interoperability, and scalability.'