Scout Ventures Appoints General (Ret.) James C. Slife as Operating Partner
Former Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force and Four-Star General Joins to Accelerate Portfolio Growth and Deepen Department of War Relationships
AUSTIN, Texas– (6/17/2026) Scout Ventures, a leading venture capital firm focused at the intersection of critical technologies & national security, today announced the appointment of General James C. "Jim" Slife as Operating Partner. General Slife is a retired four-star United States Air Force general officer with over 35 years of distinguished service, who concluded his military career as Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, the service's second-highest-ranking officer. General Slife was responsible for helping shape strategy and resource allocation for an organization of more than 650,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve, and civilian personnel operating a $215 billion annual budget.
The appointment deepens Scout's commitment to building a team with unmatched operational depth at the intersection of national security and critical technology innovation.
"We are honored to welcome General Slife to the Scout Ventures team," said Brad Harrison, Founder and Managing Partner at Scout Ventures. "Jim's career is extraordinary by any measure, from special operations aviation combat deployments to commanding Air Force Special Operations Command to serving as the second-ranking officer in the entire United States Air Force. That depth of experience across acquisition, budgeting, congressional engagement, and strategic planning gives our portfolio companies an unparalleled resource as they work to build real, lasting relationships with the Department of War. Jim represents exactly the kind of operating partner that sets Scout apart."
In his role as Operating Partner, General Slife will advise Scout portfolio companies on growth strategy and defense market navigation, support business development for both the firm and its portfolio, and provide strategic guidance on Department of War, Air Force, and U.S. Special Operation Command matters.
"Scout Ventures has built something genuinely distinctive in the defense technology investment landscape, a firm where the commitment to founders goes well beyond capital, and where the team has the credibility and operational understanding to back it up," said General Slife. "After 35 years in uniform, I've seen firsthand how transformative it is when the right technology reaches the warfighter at the right time. Scout's portfolio companies are building exactly those kinds of technologies and my goal is to help them to position their capabilities and close the gap between breakthrough innovation and real-world deployment."
General Slife's appointment comes as Scout Ventures builds on the momentum of its recently closed, oversubscribed $125 million Fund V. The firm invests in dual-use companies across artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space infrastructure, cybersecurity, quantum technology, advanced materials, and microelectronics — the critical technologies underlying how modern forces shoot, move, and communicate.
"Our mission is to help build technology so capable that it deters adversaries from ever firing a shot," said Cody Huggins, Partner at Scout Ventures. "Adding General Slife to our team sharpens our ability to do exactly that, connecting the next generation of defense innovators to the strategic relationships, institutional knowledge, and acquisition pathways that turn promising companies into enduring national security assets."
To learn more about Scout Ventures, visit https://www.scout.vc/
About Scout Ventures
Scout Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in dual-use technologies that advance U.S. national security and global stability. The firm focuses on artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space infrastructure, cybersecurity, quantum technology, and advanced power, the critical technologies underlying how modern forces shoot, move, and communicate. Scout partners with founders from the military and intelligence community, leading national research laboratories, and top-tier research universities to back breakthrough companies at the seed stage. Scout's mission: to invest in technology so capable, and deterrence so credible, that conflict becomes unthinkable.
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