From incubation to every branch of the U.S. Military
GP Team Members
Daniel Portillo
INVESTMENTS
Jose Guardado
TALENT
Josh Hernández
TALENT
Taylor Majewski
GTM
Jason Lohrentz
TALENT
Allison Light
GTM
Milestones
Founded in 2021 Partnered 2021
Founders
Ian Kalin, CEO Matt Amacker, CTO
TurbineOne helps military teams find threats before they find them. Its flagship product, the Frontline Perception System, scans sensor feeds across land, sea, air, and space, then turns that data into real-time alerts so operators can make faster decisions at the edge. In environments where connectivity is limited, unsafe, or unavailable, TurbineOne gives frontline teams a way to protect bases, borders, and personnel without relying on the cloud. The system is already used globally by every branch of the U.S. Military and U.S. Special Operations.
Born inside the GP
In 2019, Matt Amacker, TheGP’s first engineer and former head of Google’s applied R&D lab, began working with TheGP’s co-founder, Dan Portillo, on a question: how could software be built and shipped for the government faster?
At the same time, Ian Kalin, a Navy veteran and entrepreneur who had served as Chief Data Officer for the U.S. Department of Commerce, started at TheGP as an EIR.
Together, they saw an opportunity to use SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) grants as an entry point for a more product-led motion inside government. The grants gave them a way to get close to urgent operational problems, build quickly against real needs, and prove that useful software could earn its way into modern defense from the ground up.
Incubating a mission-critical product
Ian knew firsthand what it was like to navigate dangerous situations with outdated tools on the frontlines. He talked with Matt about the product he wished he had when he served—a machine learning tool that worked in a communications-contested environment to deliver intel to people on the ground, alerting them of unforeseen dangers in real time.
Matt built the first version for devices at the “edge” of a network rather than from a central data center or cloud. From the start, TurbineOne was incubated around that need: software that could work where the mission actually happens. The team developed the product inside TheGP, then spun it out as a standalone company built for defense adoption.
Working alongside a growing team
As TurbineOne graduated from POCs to PORs (Military Programs Of Record) in unprecedented time, TheGP continued to support the company as a strategic resource across talent, GTM, and capital.
Talent
Recruited and placed 8 members of TurbineOne’s technical team
Built the early engineering bench needed to keep up with demand
Helped TurbineOne scale from an incubated product into a team that could support active defense deployments
GTM
Advised on strategic comms, earning coverage in The Wall Street Journal, Axios and The Information.
Supported positioning and narrative for a defense audience that buys on trust
Capital
Led the seed
Invested in the Series A
Led the Series B
Impact
“Defense tech is unique in that its processes and norms are highly prescriptive. Knowing when to ‘disrupt’ versus when to work within system constraints is critical, and a balance not every VC is comfortable with. Having grown out of TheGP, we have a shorthand way to understand each other that makes speed and execution possible.” - Ian Kalin, co-founder and CEO
Highlights
20+ awarded DoW contracts
$55M+ funding raised
The Frontline Perception System is used globally by every military branch and U.S. Special Operations.