Dual Use - Defense

OUR THESIS

Investing in mission-critical technologies that align with DOW priorities while directly supporting DOE and national security objectives.

InVentures is a high-conviction venture capital fund and incubator that focuses on early-stage "hard tech" and dual-use technologies aligned with national security and energy priorities. A National team, Operating from a Texas-based headquarters with a global network, the firm bridges the gap for founders in complex, regulated industries like AI, robotics, and quantum computing. The fund utilizes an operator-led model, providing not just capital but also technical expertise, fractional leadership, and strategic support to navigate the 18-24 month path to commercialization. Their investment strategy prioritizes non-dilutive funding such as federal grants to maximize capital efficiency and accelerate market entry for domestic infrastructure. By focusing on mission-critical innovation from ideation to exit, InVentures aims to scale disruptive physical and digital systems into profitable, market-ready ventures. Additionally, the firm maintains a diverse portfolio of strategic assets ranging from autonomous maritime vehicles to advanced nuclear microreactors.

inventures General Partner

Melissa Chalfant

Melissa is a venture-backed hard tech / deep tech strategist and product builder with a proven track record in scaling businesses through strategic funding and operational excellence.

With her start in Semiconductor and Irradiation Services for Fortune 100 Defense Contractors, she honed her financial and marketing skills to specialize in validation, deal-structure, growth strategies, and operations. She identifies opportunities, closes high-value deals, and leads teams to execute with precision. Her focus is on driving sustainable growth through strong unit economics and optimizing top to bottom capital stacking strategies for long-term success.

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inventures general PArtner

Trevor Mann

A capital markets operator focused on defense, dual-use, aerospace, energy, deep tech, and digital infrastructure, Trevor works at the intersection of institutional capital, family offices, and government funding. He leads capital strategy, transaction structuring, and cross-border advisory to position post-revenue, Seed to Series A companies for scalable growth in regulated and strategic markets.

He is skilled at integrating venture capital, private equity, non-dilutive funding, and government contracts into cohesive capital stacks, pairing commercial traction with disciplined execution to accelerate growth and close complex transactions.

inventures General PArtner

Michael Kyle

Executive technology and market‐entry strategist with 20+ years leading innovation, commercialization, and large‐scale transformation across defense, manufacturing, energy, healthcare, data centers, and enterprise technology. Specializes in rapid U.S. market entry, advanced technology integration (AI, VR/XR, Network(s) Infrastructure, Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, Digital Twins), multi‐stakeholder orchestration, and guiding organizations through complex scaling, regulatory, and GTM environments.

His experiences with startups to fortune 100 companies has enabled him to advise C‑Suites in areas of accelerating product adoption and direction enabling growth in established and emerging markets.

Michael is passionate about bridging the gap between a founder’s technological vision and business requirements for commercialization in both the private and public sectors.

inventures General PArtner

Ben Marquart

Ben brings experience driving frontier innovation at the intersection of mobility, defense, power systems and electrification. A true hands-on and visionary systems engineer turned founder & venture-builder, he has led programs from clean-sheet ideation & concept through production, specializing in advanced systems, and vehicle architectures. From humble northern Midwestern means to multi-industry executive, Ben’s track record spans startups and legacy corporations alike, where he has bridged deep engineering insight with commercial, go-to-market and financial execution to deliver scalable results.

inventures General Partner

Brent Clayton

Brent is a creative problem solver. His friends call him MacGyver. His background in construction and safety and his love of engineering drive his passion for innovation. He is both a founder and an inventor. The struggles and trials of entrepreneurship are familiar and all too real to him and inform his focus on helping others avoid the pitfalls he has faced along the way. Brent joined the InVentures team to use his experience and passion to inspire, motivate, support, encourage, and guide others on their journey from idea to IP to IPO. 

inventures Partner

Adrienne Ramsey

Adrienne Ramsay brings a rare combination of technical depth, legislative expertise, and private sector experience to InVentures. A physicist by training, she has spent two decades at the intersection of government, defense, and industry. As Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, she guided more than $250 billion annually in defense and intelligence programs. Through Delphi Strategies, she has helped clients align their offerings to funded government priorities and avoid costly strategic misalignment. At InVentures, she develops outreach strategy, positioning portfolio companies for non-dilutive federal funding.

inventures advisor

Jonathan Lwowski

An AI and machine learning leader with deep expertise in computer vision, robotics, and data-driven systems. Jonathan has a track record of building and scaling high-performing technical teams, developing advanced AI solutions, and bringing innovative products from concept to deployment.

Jonathan holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering, with research focused on autonomous systems, control theory, and sensor fusion. His work spans both academia and industry, with published research in areas such as deep learning, robotics, and distributed systems. 

He is particularly interested in applying AI to solve real-world problems, identifying high-potential technologies, and supporting the next generation of technical founders.

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