J2 Ventures

J2 Ventures Partners, Dr. Matt Goldman and Dr. Jonathan Bronson, presented with MassRobotics at the 2025 AFCEA Lexington-Concord event: Bridging Innovation with Defense Needs. Matt and Jon highlighted the critical role investors play in supporting startups as they develop cutting-edge solutions for real-world challenges. Thank you AFCEA Lexington-Concord Chapter for hosting this impactful event and to the incredible startups that showcased their groundbreaking technology. Congratulations to Dephy, Inc. for winning the 2025 AFCEA Lex-Con Trailblazer Award! ?? ?? Check out the full recap of the session and learn more about the startups: https://lnkd.in/eD6x4uy9 #MassRobotics #Innovation #DefenseTech #Startups #AFCEA

Magic happens when two portfolio companies collaborate ????????

We're excited to see everyone at the Code Metal hackathon this week in Boston! Get ready for an inspiring weekend full of innovation, collaboration, and creativity. Whether you're a hardware pro, a code wizard, or just curious about smart cities use cases, this is your chance to connect with like-minded builders and bring your ideas to life. Bring your energy and ideas, and we'll bring ? and ??! RSVP in the comments! #Hackathon #BostonTech #Innovation #DeepTech #VentureCapital

When did being non-contrarian in #defensetech become, contrarian? The opacity of private markets means excitement can come quicker and it can be harder to understand its rationale. There are few places to observe this more than in #defensetech where there is a broad but not specifically informed assumption that a new wave of defense focused unicorns are coming. That’s why I noted to PitchBook today “But those assumptions are driving a hype cycle divorced from business fundamentals, says Alexander Harstrick, managing partner at J2 Ventures a national-security-focused venture fund” In many cases, you can equally point to a VC’s incentive to raise bigger and bigger funds as you can to an entrepreneurs ability to build the new [insert prime contractor target here] as to why valuations are what they are. “Some VCs are using markups to manufacture momentum, according to Harstrick, and “overfitting for associations with the top perceived defense companies.” High performers in this space like Palantir Technologies and Anduril Industries are what they are because they’re are singular, and moreover, the value of this space, which is often known and capped in size, is that often you don't have to raise a ton of money to be successful (#nondilutivefinancing / #dualuse). Let’s build the next generation of #nationalsecurity companies from a true desire to improve the system and not the ability to raise VC at a 0% discount rate. Full article in comments- United States Department of Defense U.S. Small Business Administration DoD SBIR/STTR Program Office United States Air Force Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Rosie Bradbury

??Alerting Boston builders — Register for the Code Metal Smart Cities Hackathon, May 14-16?? Spend the weekend with students and professionals in IoT, RF, AI, and cybersecurity to develop real-world solutions for the City of Boston, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Our incredible lineup of speakers include Eric Rosenbach, Former Pentagon Chief of Staff and Professor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard's Belfer Center and Santiago G., Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Boston. ?? Registration link in the comments! #Hackathon #Cybersecurity #AI #IoT #Boston #SmartCities

Christine Keung is redefining how venture capital fuels national security. As General Partner at J2 Ventures, she backs companies building dual-use technologies—solutions that serve both commercial and defense needs. From early roles in cybersecurity and data science to public sector leadership, she has spent her career working at the intersection of technology, policy, and investment. At #Austin4America, she joins "Smart Money, Strong Nation: The VC Path to American Primacy." A conversation on how venture capital plays a role in securing America's future. March 6-7 | Austin, TX Be in the room: austin4america.org/

Many thanks to Steve Walsh, Marek Osinski, Boris Kiefer, UNM Center for High Technology Materials, and UNM Anderson School of Management for the opportunity to moderate a quantum investors’ panel for the launch of New Mexico’s National Quantum Virtual Laboratory. This week's Quantum Computing Applications of Photonics (QCAP) Town Hall was our opportunity to put New Mexico on the map as a?world leader in photonics research, and to make its mark in fostering a quantum startup ecosystem! Thank you as well to the panelists Leif Danielsen, David Blivin, Dale R. Dekker, AIA, Inder Thukral, and Hussain Zaidi for sharing their perspectives on how to incentivize investment and growth in New Mexico. Orli Herschmann Alex Greenberg Nora Meyers Sackett Elevate Quantum Julia Wise Randy Trask J2 Ventures #InternationalYearofQuantum #QuantumState #Innovation #NewMexico #ScienceAndTechnology #EconomicDevelopment

Tasso, Inc. has partnered with hims & hers (NYSE: HIMS) to expand access to convenient, high-quality blood collection for the platform’s 2M+ subscribers. Through this collaboration, hims & hers patients will have access to Tasso, Inc.’s innovative, single-use device that collects whole liquid blood samples and is cleared for premarket use by the FDA. The device attaches to the upper arm, and offers a painless, needle-free experience with a click of a button. Thank you Brandon Gomez and CNBC for covering this milestone in patient care (?? in comments)! Ben Casavant Erwin Berthier Wendy Harman Julien Rohel Monica W. Ryan Asplund #Tasso #HimsAndHers #Healthcare #Innovation

Content moderation is entering a new era, and Musubi ?? is leading the charge! J2 Ventures is proud to lead Musubi’s $5M seed round, alongside Mozilla Ventures, J Ventures, and SHAKTI! Co-founded by trust & safety veterans Tom Quisel and Filip Jankovic, Musubi is using AI to fix one of the internet’s toughest challenges: keeping online spaces safe without compromising scale or fairness. Their PolicyAI and AIMod systems reduce moderation errors 10x compared to humans, helping platforms like Grindr and Bluesky Social stay ahead of bad actors. As online communities grow and traditional moderation struggles to keep pace, Musubi is proving that AI isn’t just an efficiency tool—it’s a necessity. We’re thrilled to support their journey in building safer, more trusted digital spaces. Thank you Cristen (CJ) Haddad and CNBC for covering Musubi's impactful work! #AI #TrustAndSafety #Moderation #Fundraising #VentureCapital

??Congratulations Aalyria for earning a spot on Via Satellite's 10 Hottest Companies in the satellite industry!?? Aalyria is redefining the future of space communications with its Spacetime network orchestration platform, driving a cross-vendor, multi-orbit, and multi-domain ecosystem. Since spinning out of Google and emerging from stealth in 2022, the company has rapidly gained traction in the satellite industry. Focused on enabling mesh networks for satellite operators, defense agencies, and terrestrial network providers, Aalyria has built an impressive portfolio of collaborators: United States Department of Defense, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Telesat Lightspeed, Intelsat, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) network, European Space Agency - ESA cc: Chris Taylor Brian Barritt Maria Hedden #ViaSatellite10Hottest #Aalyria #J2Ventures