Scout Ventures Appoints Ian Folau as Newest Operating Partner to Support Portfolio Company Go-To-Market Strategies

Scout Ventures, a venture capital firm focusing on funding frontier and dual-use technologies built by hard-to-access founders, is pleased to announce the addition of Ian Folau as Operating Partner to offer portfolio company support. Mr. Folau joins the team as a fellow West Point graduate to advise on Scout portfolio company boards, provide mentorship and network extension to the firm’s founders, and help Scout expand its investment coverage of the western U.S.

“Throughout my career, I’ve worked to inspire positive change and turn exciting ideas into innovative companies,” said Ian Folau, Operating Partner. “Scout’s mission to support veteran founders and bring to life dual-use technologies aligns perfectly with my personal goals. I’m excited to leverage my expertise as an entrepreneur, investor, former Army officer and West Point graduate for the benefit of the Scout portfolio.”

Prior to joining Scout, Folau previously served as co-founder and CEO of ClearMix, a Scout venture-backed video production company that allows producers and editors to create video content for clients fully remote. In addition to entrepreneurship, he has extensive experience in venture capital having raised several millions of dollars to found two tech startups. Folau also launched and managed a corporate venture fund, LMI Ventures, which focused on investing in emerging tech for government and defense use.

Folau previously taught as an assistant professor at West Point and spent nearly a decade as a military intelligence officer in the U.S. Army. He holds an MBA from Cornell University, a master’s in intercultural communications from Middlebury College, and a bachelor’s in systems engineering from West Point. He also led the Austin chapter of Bunker Labs, a non-profit organization that mentors military veteran entrepreneurs and the NYC chapter of the non-profit VetsInTech.

”We are proud to welcome Ian to the Scout team as we work to create a better, safer world through investing in hard-to-access founders and their technologies,” said Brad Harrison, Founder and Managing Partner of Scout Ventures. “I have had the pleasure of working with Ian over the years and his background and expertise puts him in a position to offer our portfolio companies immeasurable support as they think about their go-to-market strategies.”

Mr. Folau’s appointment comes as Scout further strengthens its investment team, as well as its portfolio companies’ go-to-market capabilities, particularly in the frontier technology sector.

To learn more about Scout Ventures, visit https://www.scout.vc.

About Scout

Scout Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm making the world a better, safer place by cultivating standout frontier technologies built by hard-to-access founders. Scout’s team comprises venture professionals with deep domain expertise in various sectors. Scout consistently assists entrepreneurs with business development, hiring, sales strategies, and more. ​​Scout focuses on the sectors where the team’s experience helps companies grow: Frontier Technologies (A.I. & Data Science, Robotics, Drones, Autonomous Mobility, AR/VR, Advanced Materials, Physical and Cybersecurity, Quantum Computing, Space) and Enterprise SaaS.

Contact Information

Merrita Llarena

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VSC for Scout

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