Venture Associate

Donavan is passionate about helping mission-driven founders turn hard technical problems into scalable companies, especially those navigating the complex path between national security needs and commercial opportunity. He brings a rare perspective from both sides of that equation, having spent nearly a decade inside the Department of Defense, Air & Space Forces, and the last several years helping dual-use startups raise capital and break into government markets.

Before joining Outlander, Donavan served as the Growth & Transition Manager at SpaceWERX, where he oversaw a $427M portfolio of strategic DoD investments. He worked directly with frontier tech startups to secure follow-on funding, navigate defense acquisition, and scale into operational programs. He also served as a Venture Fellow at First In, where he sourced and evaluated hundreds of early-stage companies and led diligence across investments in space, AI, and cybersecurity.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and former Space Force Cyber Officer, Donavan brings deep operational experience in space-cyber integration and defense innovation. At Outlander, he draws on that background to identify high-conviction investments and back the next generation of founders building category-defining technology.