Jonathan Rue

Partner @ MVP Ventures. Previously: Pentagon, Senate, Marines, industry. Always: Marine. Bulldawg. ATLien. Once and future flyfisher. Aspiring guitarist.

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

Gently reactivating this account to occasionally post about emerging tech and how government, with a focus on Congress and the national security agencies, shape it. I’ll also highlight @MVP_Ventures investments along the way. And, obviously, a generous dose of UGA football.

[Weston Moyer @westonmoyer]

@MVP_Ventures just got featured on the 2026 Strebulaev-Jackson list of the top 100 emerging U.S. VC firms.

Since our inception in 2020, MVP has:

- Backed 20 unicorns from 130 early investments
- Reached a ~15% unicorn hit rate - higher than Sequoia and a16z
- Built three consecutive top-decile funds with 2.1x TVPI in our latest fund

@IlyaStrebulaev and Blake Jackson built the ranking from individual investments, adjusted for valuation, dilution, capital deployed, investor involvement, recency, and how credit is split between investors and firms.

But the data Ilya shared ahead of the rankings going live showed MVP having just 10 Unicorns. That means HALF of our best investments are missing from our score.

Even with this handicap, MVP placed #72 on the list. More importantly, on performance from 2023 onward, MVP Ventures ranked 3rd out of the 200 in the dataset.

Proud of the recognition. Grateful to every founder, LP, co-investor, and teammate who helped us earn it.
https://t.co/ckqj92RS8m

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

What are we doing here?

[Brett McMurphy @Brett_McMurphy]

Five “block” trades were placed on LSU worth combined $3 million. Total payout if LSU won national title is exactly equal to Kiffin’s $3 million title bonus payment

[ian @IanRountree]

Heads turned earlier this month when a defense startup you'd never heard of raised at a $600M valuation. It makes a little more sense today with their $99M IDIQ 😉

This contract for their body-worn drone detector isn't even their primary product line! Much more soon.

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

That's why the durable move is credibility that survives an election cycle — not access you have to keep repurchasing.

Outcomes are earned through execution, not signaling. At @MVP_Ventures we love backing founders who understand govt engagement is a craft, not a transaction.

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

Corporate political donations just hit a record $646M this cycle. And some of the same CEOs cutting those checks are now quietly nervous about what they actually bought. 🧵https://t.co/aqiOYlS19u

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

Here's what matters for founders: a Fortune 50/100/500 can over-index on whichever party is in power, then write another round of checks when the winds change.

A startup can't. When every dollar and week of runway counts, you don't get to buy your way back in after a bad bet.

[Jonathan Rue @wjrue]

Take my money.

[Ritwik Pavan @ritwikpavan]

NEW: Photon Matrix built an Iron Dome for mosquitoes.

The Blue Laser Mosquito Air Defense is built for patios, campsites, and outdoor dinners, using sensors to find mosquitoes mid-air and zap them with a visible blue laser.

-Scans a 20-foot, 90-degree field in front of the unit
-Targets flying insects as small as 2 mm
-Uses LiDAR, radar, and AI vision to confirm targets
-Internal aiming system points the laser at the mosquito
-Outdoor kit adds a rotating base for 360-degree coverage
-Runs about 4–5 hours from a power bank
-Blue flash shows when it fires

Pricing starts at $1,088.

[MVP Ventures @MVP_Ventures]

Some of the most important knowledge in science has never been written down.

@Transfyrai is emerging from stealth with $25M in Seed funding to change that. We’re proud to back founders @AnnaMarieWagner and @rwegrzyn, and the team.