HEARD AROUND VIRGINIA September 2025

Booz Allen Hamilton, the McLean-based management and technology consulting firm, announced July 21 it intends to triple its venture capital commitment to $300 million, with plans to make 20 to 25 investments over the next five years in early-stage technology companies focused on the federal government. The company’s venture arm, Booz Allen Ventures, already has invested in 17 startups over the past five years, including Albedo, Hidden Level, Second Front and Shift5. Those companies focus on areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomy, cyber, space and quantum computing. (Potomac Tech Wire)

goHappy, a Richmond-based developer of an app-free communications tool designed to help companies better engage with their frontline employees, said July 22 it has landed a “significant” growth investment from North Carolina-based private equity firm Pamlico Capital. Specific financial terms were not disclosed. goHappy works with brands in the food service, hospitality, health care, manufacturing and retail industries. The company said it will use the funds to support its next phase of growth, after recently launching its Engagement Hub, which helps employers share documents, files and other company resources with workers. (Potomac Tech Wire)

Kilsar, a Virginia Beach-based AI software company specializing in knowledge management and maintenance training solutions, announced July 16 that it had closed a $3.7 million seed round led by Lightbank, a Chicago-based venture capital firm, and Cotulla Capital, a New York private equity investment firm, with participation from Colorado-based Techstars and Lithuania-based Scalewolf. The funding will be used to expand Kilsar’s engineering and deployment teams, accelerate onboarding across defense and commercial maintenance organizations and further develop a real-time AI assistant that replaces static maintenance manuals with searchable content. (News release)

Arlington County venture capital firm Marlinspike is nearly halfway to its goal of raising $70 million for an investment fund to back emerging defense tech startups. The Ballston-based firm will use its Marlinspike Disruptive Technology Fund II to be a lead investor for most if not all investments it plans to make over the next four years across 20 to 24 startups, according to CEO and co-Managing Partner Neil Keegan. It plans to cut checks ranging from $250,000 to $10 million-plus to companies developing technologies at the convergence of AI systems and manufacturing. (DC Inno)

Shenandoah Community Capital Fund announced July 29 that nine local businesses were accepted into its Capacitor Incubator Program: Charm Security Services (Winchester); Floral Genius (Augusta County); Harmony Harvest Farms (Augusta); Hobbit Hill Farm (Rockingham County); PrePOPsterous (Rockingham); Summit Events (Frederick County); Simone and Tuesday (Staunton); Staunton Tea and Books (Staunton); and RespexTech (Staunton). The program helps entrepreneurs identify their growth goals, assess the challenges holding them back and create an action plan to overcome those challenges and scale their businesses. Each entrepreneur works through a custom roadmap developed in partnership with an assigned coach. The cohort runs from July 8 to Dec. 8. (News release)

PEOPLE

Red Cell Partners announced July 16 that Michael Kilberry, a former head of product for Google and Amazon, has joined the McLean incubation and investment firm as its chief product and technology officer. Kilberry will be responsible for the company’s product and technology vision, identifying market opportunities, defining product and technical strategies and working closely with teams to guide the development and delivery of technologies. Kilberry serves as an adviser to TQ Ventures, a New York early-stage venture capital firm. (News release)