Meet the Minds Behind Ironbird

Leaders in deep tech, aerospace, 
and robotics innovation.

Tarek
Kandalaft

Managing Partner

A seasoned leader in aerospace innovation, Tarek brings decades of experience from SpaceX and Relativity Space. He specializes in vehicle design and certification, leading the way in new space hardware.

Josh
Hathaway

Managing Partner

With a background in guidance and navigation systems at SpaceX, Josh led engineering teams to pioneer innovations in aerospace. At Ironbird, he builds the future of mobility with precision and passion.

Conor
Godfrey

Managing Partner

Conor spent many years leading field teams with the U.S. Department of State before
spearheading corporate development for the tech-led economic development arm of the $5 B George Kaiser Family Foundation.

Rosa
Rivas

Venture Partner

Rosa’s experience spans design, applications engineering, and venture capital. From working on the Falcon 9 to empowering startups through Atento Capital, she bridges the gap between engineering and investment.

Advisors

Kevin Griffin

Nvidia, ex-NSA, ex-Lawrence Livermore National Labs

Steph Speirs

CEO & Co-Founder Solstice Energy (exited to Mitsui)

Christina Van Houten

Serially Successful Founder & Corporate Strategist

Sean Alexander

Ex-Microsoft & AI for Industry Expert

Gabe Sherman

Ex-NASA Chief of Staff, President Artemis Group

Collectively,

The Ironbird Team's Core Experience Includes:

Robotics and Computer Vision
Robotics and Computer Vision
The explosion in robotics startups reflects the synthesis of lower cost computer vision and sensors with several of our macros such as the digital transformation of traditional industries and increased defense spending in a less secure world. We believe that both cost and workforce pressures will continue to expand the market for robotics and automation just as falling cost curves for sensors and compute make air, ground, sea, and space based robotic systems more powerful.
Vehicle Design & Certification
Vehicle Design & Certification
Put simply, the world requires old vehicles to do new things and new vehicles to do things the old ones cannot. We are seeing autonomous forklifts in the mid-west piloted by drivers hundreds of miles away.This extends to “new domains” such as space, where new satellite and launch vehicle designs are required for new missions. We see many vehicle design opportunities in century-old agriculture and freight operations as they seek to profit from lower costs for sensor tech and compute.
Component Design & Manufacturing
Component Design & Manufacturing
Political and security imperatives to re-shore manufacturing coincide with the increasing connectedness of technicians, supply chains, and hardware. Advancements in materials and techniques such as additive manufacturing are allowing new designs that change how engineers design hardware and integrate overall tech stack. The time to go from design intent to integration is faster than anytime in history.
Simulation & Digital Twins
Simulation & Digital Twins
The cost of an average IoT sensor has fallen from $1.30 in 2004 to $.30 in 2024. The resulting data deluge powers increasingly accurate "digital twins," enhancing everything from rapid additive manufacturing to Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul for aging aircraft. Concurrently, massive investments in autonomous vehicles have driven down LIDAR costs and spurred advancements in machine learning for optical computer vision.
Early-stage investments
Early-stage investments
For decades you needed to be a billionaire or a government to truly scale new modes of moving through the world. The commoditization of core technologies now allows early-stage investors-- and the best teams -- to make paradigm-altering investments and drive returns.

Ironbird

Building Things That Matter

Contact Info

info@ironbird.studio

Let’s Build Something Together

We’re always looking for visionary partners and ideas that can change the world. Whether you’re ready to start a new venture or interested in learning more about Ironbird, let’s talk.

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