Iron Gate

Technology Focus Areas (Top 4): Robotics, Intel & Surveillance, AI, Cyber

Series: Seed & Series A

Locations: Palm Beach, FL

IronGate Capital Advisors (Tampa, FL) - Overview

Dual-Use Defense Tech from the Sunshine State

IronGate Capital Advisors operates from Tampa, Florida, with a clear mission: deploy private capital into early-stage companies whose advanced technologies serve both U.S. defense/intelligence needs and civilian markets. This "dual-use" approach lets them back startups that can scale across multiple sectors while strengthening national security capabilities.

The firm is managed by a multidisciplinary team combining former military and intelligence officers, Wall Street financiers, and tech executives. Their website states it plainly: "Our funds invest in companies and venture partnerships to support dual-use technologies that strengthen the national security of the United States and its allies." It's a focused approach that blends national security expertise with venture capital funding to help defense-related startups grow.

Building a $25 Million Foundation

IronGate closed its first discretionary fund in July 2023 with $25 million in commitments - not huge by Silicon Valley standards, but sized appropriately for their specialized focus. This inaugural fund was fully allocated across six target sectors: robotics, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, space technologies, and other dual-use areas.

The firm hasn't announced any subsequent fund closings, so their current assets under management sit at roughly $25 million. While they don't publish typical investment sizes, given the fund size, IronGate likely writes seed-to-Series A checks, often participating in rounds alongside larger investors.

Beyond direct investments, IronGate also commits capital to other VC funds, effectively acting as a fund-of-funds in defense tech. Their website lists commitments to funds like 8VC, J2 Ventures, and GenPartnership, showing they're plugged into the broader defense tech ecosystem.

Leadership with Serious Credentials

Hon. Tidal "Ty" McCoy serves as Chairman and Co-Founder, bringing heavyweight government credentials. McCoy was Acting Secretary and Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force under Reagan and later held senior CIA contracting positions. As the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation notes, "He recently co-founded, as Chairman, the venture capital fund IronGate Capital Advisors to invest in vital, advanced high technology for the U.S. national security community." His decades in government and defense policy give IronGate serious credibility and deep Pentagon/intelligence connections.

Andrew Magliochetti serves as Co-Founder and Managing Partner, handling the finance side. With about 25 years in structured finance, merchant banking, and defense deals, plus advanced degrees in finance and homeland security, Magliochetti structures investments and leads discussions on defense venture funding. He's frequently seen at industry panels discussing the intersection of venture capital and defense innovation.

Hamlet Yousef founded IronGate in 2018 and leads deal activity as Managing Partner. Before venture capital, he worked in federal national security and diplomacy roles. The Irregular Warfare Initiative describes him as focused on "investing in dual-use national security/defense related technologies." Yousef regularly appears in media discussing national security investing and moderates industry panels.

Ryan Morfin brings Wall Street expertise as Managing Partner. The former CEO of Wentworth Management Services (a broker/wealth firm from 2016 to 2022), Morfin adds financial markets experience to IronGate's government-heavy team, focusing on investment strategy and fund management.

Other advisors, including Joanne Isham (former NSA official), round out the team, but McCoy, Magliochetti, Yousef, and Morfin form the core leadership.

Building Visibility in Defense Tech Circles

IronGate maintains an active presence in defense tech media and events. Hamlet Yousef gave an in-depth VatorNews podcast interview in mid-2024 about investing in "dual-purpose technology" for national security, discussing IronGate's thesis and the rise of defense tech VC.

In October 2024, Yousef moderated the National Security panel at the Culture, Religion & Technology conference in Miami. That same month, IronGate hosted its own "Strength Through Innovation" Summit in the Washington, DC area, with McCoy opening the event and Magliochetti leading panels on the state of the national security VC market.

Industry publications have taken notice. GovConWire covered IronGate's Fund I close, and NationalDefenseLab.com wrote about their summit panels. The firm is building visibility in the defense tech niche while curating industry news on its website.

Portfolio Companies Making Real Impact

Despite their relatively small fund size, IronGate has backed dozens of companies that are achieving significant milestones:

Red 6 Aerospace closed a $70 million Series B in June 2023 to scale its augmented reality air-combat training systems. IronGate joined major investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures, RedBird Capital, and Boeing in that round, helping fund technology that's revolutionizing military pilot training.

Oros Labs raised a $22 million Series B in March 2024, led by Airbus Ventures, for its advanced thermal insulation technology. IronGate's participation alongside Airbus demonstrates their ability to co-invest with strategic corporate partners.

ANELLO Photonics closed its Series B funding in November 2024 with IronGate among investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures. The company's silicon-photonic optical gyroscopes enable navigation in GPS-denied environments - critical for both military and autonomous civilian applications.

Government contract wins show IronGate's value beyond capital. Portfolio company Atomic-6 secured a NASA development contract to produce a deployable lunar boom, while CesiumAstro won a $3.6 million USAF contract to put its SATCOM payload on MQ-9A Reaper drones.

Technology demonstrations validate their investments. Morpheus Space conducted its first in-orbit demonstration of electric thrusters, and goTenna demonstrated covering all 14,000+ square miles of Oahu with a mobile mesh network for a USAF exercise.

Domestic manufacturing focus appears in investments like Phoenix Semiconductor, which raised $5.5 million in seed funding to reopen legacy chip fabs and address domestic chip supply challenges.

The IronGate Advantage

What sets IronGate apart is their team's national security credentials combined with venture expertise. Their portfolio companies don't just get capital - they get access to Pentagon programs, prime contractors, and government decision-makers who understand both the technical challenges and procurement processes.

The firm's Florida location might seem unusual for a defense tech fund, but Tampa's proximity to MacDill Air Force Base (home to CENTCOM and SOCOM) and the region's growing tech ecosystem provide strategic advantages. Their leadership can easily travel to Washington for meetings while maintaining lower costs than traditional coastal venture hubs.

IronGate's approach of combining direct investments with fund-of-funds commitments gives them broad exposure to the defense tech ecosystem while maintaining focused expertise in their core areas. This strategy allows them to punch above their weight class, participating in major rounds alongside much larger funds.

Small Fund, Big Impact

Though IronGate operates with just $25 million under management, they've positioned themselves as specialized seed and early-stage backers in the U.S. defense tech ecosystem. Their leadership's national security credentials and venture experience provide portfolio companies with strategic support that goes well beyond funding - including access to Pentagon programs, prime contractor partnerships, and government customers.

The firm's news feed and media mentions confirm that many IronGate-backed startups are achieving significant scale and securing major contracts in aerospace, cybersecurity, AI, and other mission-critical sectors. For founders building dual-use technologies, IronGate offers something that larger, generalist funds often can't: deep expertise in navigating the complex world where cutting-edge technology meets national security requirements.