Austin, Texas skyline

MITRE and Capital Factory Partner to Advance Technology Solutions for the Government

MITRE’s Austin iHub expands ongoing collaboration connecting Texas startups with federal marketplace; grows footprint and impact within Lone Star State.

Austin, Tx., McLean, Va., & Bedford, Mass., March 8, 2022—MITRE has joined Capital Factory’s Innovation Council (IC), which connects the world’s largest companies with the most innovative startups across Texas. MITRE will support the startup ecosystem with its deep technology and engineering expertise – collaborating and convening with other corporate and government innovators via strategy sessions, VIP engagements, pitch events, roundtables, and technology-themed innovation summits.

“We’re honored to join the Innovation Council and expand our ongoing collaboration with Capital Factory,” said Julie Gravallese, MITRE vice president for workplace innovation. “We look forward to continuing to mentor and help startups recognize the current and future innovation needs of the U.S. government and the robust opportunity the federal marketplace presents.”  

MITRE’s Bridging Innovation team—which builds pathways to discover, accelerate, and deliver innovation from nontraditional sources to solve national problems—previously partnered with Capital Factory on a variety of programs, including the Accessibility in Tech Summit 2021Fed Supernova Conference, and an “Ask Me Anything” introduction to the defense innovation sector.

In 2021, MITRE opened a regional innovation center (iHub) in Austin to deepen engagement with the local community, expand involvement with area universities and small businesses, and support growing work for the U.S. government.

“Our Austin iHub demonstrates our belief in the region’s wealth of academic institutions and diverse workforce that support a strong and resilient startup community,” said Bobby Blount, MITRE’s Austin iHub site leader. “MITRE has long had a presence in San Antonio. By joining the Innovation Council, we look forward to growing our relationships and impact across Capital Factory’s sites in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio to bring new ideas and solutions to bear on challenges facing this great nation.”

“As an operator of federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) at the intersection of government and commercial business, MITRE is a unique addition to our already diverse Innovation Council membership," said Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of Capital Factory. "This will open up new doors for collaboration with startups and other IC members."

About MITRE

MITRE’s mission-driven teams are dedicated to solving problems for a safer world. Through our public-private partnerships and federally funded R&D centers, we work across government and in partnership with industry to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of our nation. Learn more at mitre.org.

About Capital Factory

Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the number one state for startups in the U.S. Thousands of entrepreneurs, programmers, and designers gather day and night, in person and online for meetups, classes, and coworking. With boots on the ground in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, we meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to investors, employees, mentors, and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active, early-stage investor in Texas since 2010. Learn more at capitalfactory.com.

Media Contacts

MITRE: Mike Murphy, media@mitre.org.

Capital Factory, press@capitalfactory.com