Ben Kohlmann
Former Partner & COO, Cubit Capital (departed late 2025 for Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs) at cubit-capital
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Background
Benjamin C. Kohlmann is a Dallas-based defense-tech and frontier-tech investor who served as Partner, Chief Operating Officer, and Venture Investor at Cubit Capital before being nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the United States Senate on December 18, 2025 as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs 123. He is a retired U.S. Navy officer who deployed into combat as an F/A-18 carrier pilot with VFA-41 and later instructed in the U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Fleet Replacement Squadron; he retired in 2024 after 20 years of combined active and reserve service 14.
His Navy shore-duty assignments included the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell, Aide and Speechwriter to Commander U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Innovation Unit (Experimental) 14. While on active duty he founded and chaired the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum 14.
Prior to his Senate-confirmed appointment, Kohlmann’s private-sector roles included CEO of the New American Industrial Alliance, COO and Venture Investor at Cubit Capital, CEO of Farcast, Inc., and management consultant at McKinsey & Company 14. He holds a B.A. in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Political Science from Northwestern University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business 1. He was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar in 2018 1. In August 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott appointed him to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents (term through February 2027) 1.
Cubit Capital is a Dallas-based mission-driven venture firm founded in 2022 and headquartered at 8111 Westchester Dr., Suite 900, Dallas, TX 75225 56. The firm invests Pre-Seed through Series A across defense-tech, advanced manufacturing, energy, aerospace, and adjacent frontier-tech categories 56. Trevor R. Rees-Jones is listed as Founding Partner; current named partners include Philip Carson, Guilherme Hadlich, and Thomas Kincaid 5.
Stated Thesis
While at Cubit Capital, Kohlmann publicly framed his investing around hard-tech, energy, and U.S. industrial-base renewal. Speaking to Infinite Frontiers in 2024, he stated: “Energy is the main currency of human flourishing. More energy creates better outcomes, so we need cheap, clean, abundant energy.” 7 He emphasized that hardware investing requires longer time horizons and higher conviction: “For hardware, you’re really betting on the market in five to seven years…the bar of conviction has to be higher because of the time and intensity required.” 7 He also argued the timing was favorable because “the government has caught up by funding entities like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).” 7
Cubit Capital itself publicly describes its mandate as backing “courageous leaders building businesses that confront meaningful problems” and emphasizes “stewardship of resources,” “human flourishing through entrepreneurial leadership,” and “democracy and free markets” as guiding values 6.
Inferred Thesis
This analysis is based on Cubit Capital’s publicly disclosed portfolio of 46 companies and is necessarily firm-level rather than personally attributable — Cubit does not publish lead-partner attribution per deal, and Kohlmann’s specific sourcing role on individual investments is not independently documented in the sources reviewed 68. Aggregator Tracxn separately reports Cubit has invested in 34 companies with 4 new investments in the last 12 months as of February 2026 8.
Sector distribution (based on 46 Cubit portfolio companies as categorized on the firm’s site): - Defense, aerospace, and maritime hard-tech: Saronic (maritime autonomy), Vatn Systems (UUVs), Chariot Defense, Firestorm (UAS), Firehawk Aerospace, Albedo (satellites), Wilder (aerospace robotics), True Anomaly (space security), Chaos (defense), Venus Aero (hypersonics), Elroy Air (autonomous cargo), Overland AI (off-road autonomy) — 12 of 46 (26%) 6. - Advanced manufacturing & industrial base: Hadrian, Seurat, ICON (3D-printed homes), H3X (electric motors), Noveon (magnets), Streamline (gas treatment) — 6 of 46 (13%) 6. - Energy & climate: Sage Geo Systems (geothermal), Element 3 (lithium), East African Power, Kepler Compute — 4 of 46 (9%) 6. - Faith / mission-aligned consumer & SaaS: Minno, Nurture, The Wonder Project, Salt (Christian dating), The Worship Initiative, Leadr, Infinite Giving, Ubuntu Life, Pallet, Procure Impact — 10 of 46 (22%) 6. - Enterprise SaaS / vertical software & AI: Vulcan, Kadence, Sprout AI, Ethos Systems, Primer, Odyssey, Harbor Health, Reframe, Forte, Convo, UpSmith, Lucid Bots, Gecko Robotics, Superhuman — 14 of 46 (30%) 6.
The defense+manufacturing+energy clusters together account for 22 of 46 (48%) of disclosed positions, which aligns with the public framing Kohlmann gave in interviews 67. The mission-aligned faith-and-civic cluster (22%) is a distinctive Cubit signature not commonly seen in other defense-tech funds and reflects the firm’s stated values 6.
Stage: Cubit’s website declares Pre-Seed through Series A as the target range 6. Tracxn confirms early-to-growth posture but the firm has participated in later rounds (e.g., Saronic Series A) as well 89.
Geographic focus: Predominantly U.S., with a Texas concentration (Saronic in Austin, Venus Aerospace in Houston, Hadrian in Torrance CA, ICON in Austin). East African Power is the most notable non-U.S. position 6.
Co-investor signal: Cubit appears alongside defense-and-frontier-tech specialists on its largest disclosed rounds — Caffeinated Capital led Saronic’s $55M Series A in October 2023 with Cubit participating 9; 8VC, Stand Together Ventures Lab, and GSV co-invested in Tap (workforce development for advanced manufacturing) 10.
Caveats: (1) None of the sector percentages are personally attributable to Kohlmann — they describe Cubit Capital’s portfolio mix during his tenure. (2) Categorization choices (e.g., classifying Gecko Robotics as enterprise SaaS vs. defense) materially shift the percentages; the math above is shown so readers can recategorize. (3) With Kohlmann’s December 2025 departure to government service, future Cubit investments will reflect the firm’s other partners, not him.
Portfolio
The following are publicly disclosed Cubit Capital portfolio companies during Kohlmann’s tenure as Partner/COO/Venture Investor (2022-2025). Personal lead-partner attribution is not publicly documented; entries reflect firm-level positions 6.
| Company | Year | Stage | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saronic | 2023 | Series A ($55M, Caffeinated Capital led) | 96 |
| Hadrian | ~2023 | Growth/late-stage (year per Cubit listing) | 6 |
| Venus Aerospace | 2024 | Series A-1 participation | 611 |
| Gecko Robotics | ~2024 | Late-stage (unicorn per Tracxn) | 68 |
| True Anomaly | ~2023 | Early-stage defense/space | 6 |
| Firestorm | ~2024 | Early-stage UAS | 6 |
| Firehawk Aerospace | ~2023 | Early-stage rocket propulsion | 6 |
| Albedo | ~2023 | Early-stage satellite imagery | 6 |
| Vatn Systems | ~2024 | Early-stage UUVs | 6 |
| Chariot Defense | ~2024 | Early-stage power infrastructure | 6 |
| Overland AI | ~2024 | Early-stage off-road autonomy | 6 |
| Elroy Air | ~2023 | Autonomous cargo aviation | 6 |
| Wilder | ~2024 | Aerospace robotics | 6 |
| Chaos | ~2024 | Defense technology | 6 |
| H3X | ~2023 | Electric motors | 6 |
| Noveon | ~2024 | Next-gen magnets | 6 |
| Seurat | ~2023 | Sustainable manufacturing | 6 |
| ICON | ~2023 | 3D-printed homes | 6 |
| Sage Geo Systems | ~2024 | Geopressured geothermal | 6 |
| Element 3 | ~2024 | Lithium extraction | 6 |
| Kepler Compute | ~2024 | Computing infrastructure | 6 |
| Streamline | ~2024 | Gas treatment | 6 |
| East African Power | ~2024 | Sustainable energy (Africa) | 6 |
| Reframe | ~2024 | Resilient housing | 6 |
| Vulcan | ~2024 | GovTech/regulatory | 6 |
| Kadence | ~2024 | Workplace SaaS | 6 |
| Sprout AI | ~2024 | Relational AI | 6 |
| Ethos Systems | ~2024 | AI / human readiness | 6 |
| Lucid Bots | ~2024 | Automated cleaning robotics | 6 |
| Primer | ~2023 | Education | 6 |
| Odyssey | ~2024 | K-12 education choice | 6 |
| Harbor Health | ~2024 | Healthcare collaboration | 6 |
| Forte | ~2024 | Benefits platform | 6 |
| Convo | ~2024 | Social media | 6 |
| UpSmith | ~2024 | Skilled-labor recruitment | 6 |
| Procure Impact | ~2024 | Employment / dignity | 6 |
| Pallet | ~2024 | Homelessness solutions | 6 |
| Superhuman | ~2024 | Productivity software | 6 |
| Minno | ~2023 | Christian children’s content | 6 |
| Nurture | ~2023 | Church management software | 6 |
| Leadr | ~2023 | People development software | 6 |
| Salt | ~2024 | Christian dating | 6 |
| The Wonder Project | ~2024 | Faith storytelling | 6 |
| The Worship Initiative | ~2024 | Worship music collective | 6 |
| Infinite Giving | ~2024 | Nonprofit financial management | 6 |
| Ubuntu Life | ~2024 | African lifestyle brand | 6 |
Year precision is limited because Cubit’s portfolio page does not publish round dates. Entries marked “~YYYY” reflect best-effort estimates from press coverage and Tracxn/PitchBook listings where available; the underlying source for the position itself is Cubit’s portfolio page 68.
In Their Own Words
On energy as the engine of human flourishing: “Energy is the main currency of human flourishing. More energy creates better outcomes, so we need cheap, clean, abundant energy.” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On hardware investing timelines: “For hardware, you’re really betting on the market in five to seven years…the bar of conviction has to be higher because of the time and intensity required.” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On the government as a customer: “Now is the right time to invest in hardware because the government has caught up by funding entities like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On evaluating founders: “Raw determination, a deep understanding of the problem, and an alignment with reality” are essential characteristics he evaluates in entrepreneurs; he describes an ideal “boldness-to-capability ratio” of “two-to-one…someone trying to build something at the very edge of their capabilities that is still within reason.” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On founder mindset: “Strong beliefs, loosely held. Entrepreneurs need strong hypotheses about what they’re building, but they must be willing to listen to market feedback.” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On operational pace as a signal: “Strong correlation between a CEO’s success and how fast they respond to texts or emails…shows the pace at which they operate.” — Ben Kohlmann, Infinite Frontiers interview, 2024 7
On accepting the Senate confirmation: “Deeply honored that the United States Senate confirmed me tonight to serve as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs. I’m excited to soon serve our President, Secretary of War, Secretary of the Navy, and the American people.” — Ben Kohlmann, X post, December 18, 2025 3
What Founders Say
No independently sourced founder testimonials specifically about working with Ben Kohlmann were found in publicly available press or social media. Founder reviews of Cubit Capital as a firm are also limited in public reporting. This section will be expanded if direct, attributable founder quotes are located in future research passes.
Connections
- Board of Regents, Texas Southern University — appointed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in August 2024, term through February 2027 112.
- Former Board Chairman, Defense Entrepreneurs Forum — non-profit he founded while on active Navy duty 14.
- Three private-sector board seats (companies not publicly disclosed in the cited bio) 1.
- U.S. Navy network: F/A-18 carrier pilot (VFA-41); served at the Chief of Naval Operations Rapid Innovation Cell, Office of Naval Research, and the Defense Innovation Unit (Experimental) 14.
- Stanford GSB alumni network (MBA) and Northwestern alumni network (BA) 1.
- Presidential Leadership Scholar, 2018 cohort 1.
- Cubit Capital partner group: worked alongside Founding Partner Trevor R. Rees-Jones, and Partners Philip Carson, Guilherme Hadlich, and Thomas Kincaid 5.
- Government appointment: Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, confirmed by the U.S. Senate December 18, 2025 23.
Sources
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Texas Southern University Board of Regents biography for Benjamin C. Kohlmann. Accessed May 2026. https://tsu.edu/about/board-of-regents/biographies/bio-benjamin-kohlmann.php↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Congress.gov, “PN60-12 — Nomination of Benjamin Kohlmann for Department of Defense, 119th Congress (2025-2026).” Accessed May 2026. https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/60/12↩↩
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Ben Kohlmann (@benkohlmann), X post announcing Senate confirmation as Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower & Reserve Affairs, December 18, 2025. Accessed May 2026. https://x.com/benkohlmann/status/2001830827919851618↩↩↩
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U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, “Statement of Benjamin Kohlmann, Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs.” Accessed May 2026. https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/kohlmann_opening_statement.pdf↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Cubit Capital Team page. Accessed May 2026. https://cubit.capital/team↩↩↩↩
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Cubit Capital homepage and portfolio listing. Accessed May 2026. https://cubit.capital/↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Infinite Frontiers, “Atoms, Ambition, and American Ingenuity with Cubit Capital’s Ben Kohlmann,” 2024. Accessed May 2026. https://infinitefrontiers.io/conversations/atoms-ambition-and-american-ingenuity-with-cubit-capitals-ben-kohlmann/↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩↩
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Tracxn, “Cubit Capital — 2026 Investor Profile, Portfolio, Team & Investment Trends.” Accessed May 2026. https://tracxn.com/d/venture-capital/cubitcapital/__mfT9KkWDiD24StCYs9fL3LsNP2BZLrwiuej136eTRrY↩↩↩↩↩
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TechCrunch, “Saronic, a defense startup building autonomous ships, raises $55M,” October 9, 2023. Accessed May 2026. https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/09/saronic-a-defense-startup-building-autonomous-ships-raises-55m/↩↩↩
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PR Newswire, “Stand Together Ventures Lab, Cubit Capital, 8VC, and GSV Invest in Tap to Accelerate AI-Powered Workforce Development for Advanced Manufacturing.” Accessed May 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stand-together-ventures-lab-cubit-capital-8vc-and-gsv-invest-in-tap-to-accelerate-ai-powered-workforce-development-for-advanced-manufacturing-302683179.html↩
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Cubit Capital LinkedIn post on Venus Aerospace hypersonic jet development. Accessed May 2026. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cubit-capital_venus-aerospace-developing-hypersonic-jet-activity-7160652775708651520-9yJ3↩
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Office of the Texas Governor, “Governor Abbott Appoints Kohlmann To Texas Southern University Board Of Regents,” August 2024. Accessed May 2026. https://gov.texas.gov/news/post/governor-abbott-appoints-kohlmann-to-texas-southern-university-board-of-regents↩