Daniel Robbins interviews Jake Chapman about how Marque Ventures invests in early stage companies advancing U.S. national security and Western values. Jake shares how his work moved from private investing into rethinking venture activity inside the Department of War and back out again into building a private firm designed to fund the future of defense, dual use, and strategic technologies.
Key Discussion Points:
Jake explains that national security investing requires founders and investors to think like futurists and “skate to where the puck is going,” not just fund what is being used in today’s conflicts. He shares why the U.S. acquisition system is more predictable than many people assume, making defense spending and future capability needs easier to map than consumer behavior. He also breaks down why defense founders need someone on the team with direct military or procurement experience and why talking to the end user early is critical. The conversation expands into space, where Jake argues that space infrastructure is becoming economically and strategically essential, with the long term possibility of a true in space economy and even the need to defend assets beyond Earth.
Takeaways:
A major takeaway from the episode is that great defense founders are usually mission driven and deeply engaged with the real world problems they want to solve. Jake makes clear that VCs are not only evaluating the business, but the founder’s passion, thoughtfulness, and ability to answer hard questions under pressure. He also highlights that some of the biggest mistakes in pitching come from dismissing competitors, lacking energy, or building a product without understanding how the actual customer will use it. More broadly, the episode shows that national security innovation is no longer a government only game, but a rapidly evolving startup space where private builders, veterans, and frontier tech founders can shape the future.
Closing Thoughts:
This Founder’s Story episode captures just how wide the lens has become for modern venture capital, stretching from defense procurement and battlefield tools to space commerce and even questions about aliens. Jake Chapman leaves listeners with a strong sense that the future will belong to founders who understand both technology and the geopolitical environment their products will enter.
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