DataTribe is a venture capital firm founded in 2016, based in Fulton, Maryland. Often described as a "reverse In-Q-Tel," the firm specializes in helping technologists from the U.S. intelligence and defense communities commercialize cutting-edge cybersecurity and data science innovations.
DataTribe focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage companies working on generational leaps in cybersecurity and data science.
The firm primarily backs U.S.-based startups and leverages its proximity to Washington, D.C. and the broader national security ecosystem to recruit highly specialized founding teams.
In June 2025, DataTribe closed Fund III, its third fund, at $41 million. This fund continues the firm’s unique co-building model, which combines early capital with operational resources to help national-security-grade technologies enter the commercial market.
Fund III is expected to support 8–12 companies, with typical investments ranging from $500K to $10 million.
Each selected company receives a combination of cash investment and roughly $1 million in services, including:
Companies are physically incubated at DataTribe’s Fulton headquarters for 12 to 18 months, allowing the firm to maintain deep operational involvement as the startups prepare for Series A funding.
Leadership
The firm is led by co-founders Mike Janke and Bob Ackerman. In January 2025, Rob Joyce, the former Director of Cybersecurity at the NSA with over 34 years of government service, joined as a Venture Partner. Joyce brings particular expertise in identity security, AI, and machine learning applied to national defense and enterprise systems.
Investment Strategy
DataTribe operates more like a startup studio than a traditional VC fund. It works closely with founding teams, often formed around technologists with U.S. intelligence or defense backgrounds, to co-build companies from the ground up.
The firm typically selects just three companies per year, provides hands-on support from day one, and embeds each team at its headquarters to accelerate early product development, customer traction, and fundraising.
Its strategy is enhanced by a “Brain Trust” of Fortune 500 CISOs, national lab experts, and agency veterans who help validate, pilot, and scale the startups’ solutions.
Notable Investments
DataTribe has backed several companies, including:
Notable Exits
The firm has seen notable exits such as:
