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Champion Hill Ventures
Josh Manchester founded Champion Hill Ventures in 2014 after six years at TrueBridge Capital Partners, where he helped manage roughly $2B.
Champion Hill Ventures
Josh Manchester founded Champion Hill Ventures in 2014 after six years at TrueBridge Capital Partners, where he helped manage roughly $2B. Manchester previously served as a US Marine Corps officer with Middle East operational experience. Robert Haddick, Director of Research, spent 18 years at Fremont Group building and leading its proprietary trading unit; he is also a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and author of a book on US-China Pacific strategy. The firm invests across three thematic areas: defense and hard technology; new computing regimes and digital sovereignty; and "curveballs" — ideas that violate existing narratives and lack a clear category. Its portfolio includes non-consensus bets in areas traditionally underserved by venture capital. Geographic focus is primarily North America, with an eye toward defense and government-adjacent markets. The firm does not disclose individual portfolio companies, AUM, or fund structures. Champion Hill Ventures operates with a lean team of two named investment professionals and offices in Santa Monica, Chapel Hill, and Seattle. The firm does not maintain a disclosed fund vehicle or separate family office structure. It has not publicly reported a recent fundraising or major deployment. The firm's structural differentiator is its explicit focus on problems that are structurally underserved by capital markets — particularly defense and national security technology, where Manchester and Haddick's military backgrounds provide a sourcing and diligence advantage that most generalist venture firms lack.
General information
Firm type
Asset Manager
Year founded
2014
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Santa Monica
Corporate office
Santa Monica, CA, United States
Additional offices
Chapel Hill, NC · Seattle, WA
Principals
Josh Manchester
Founder
Robert Haddick
Director of Research
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Champion Hill Ventures?
Investment decisions are run by Founder Josh Manchester and Director of Research Robert Haddick. Manchester spent six years at TrueBridge Capital Partners before founding the firm. Haddick previously led proprietary trading at Fremont Group for 18 years (per firm website).
How does Champion Hill Ventures source proprietary deal flow?
The firm looks for non-consensus ideas, pre-category behavior, or innovation structurally underserved by capital markets. Its co-founders' military and national security backgrounds provide access to defense and government-adjacent deal flow that typical venture firms may not see (per firm website).
What investment stages does Champion Hill Ventures typically target?
The firm does not publicly disclose a preferred stage, but its focus on early, non-consensus ideas and pre-category behavior suggests an early-stage or seed-to-Series A focus. No specific stage is stated.
Does Champion Hill Ventures participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The firm does not publicly disclose its fund structure. It does not list any committed capital vehicles or partnerships with external GPs. Its operations appear to be direct deal-focused, but this is unconfirmed.
Which sectors does Champion Hill Ventures explicitly focus on?
The firm targets three thematic areas: defense and hard technology, new computing regimes and digital sovereignty, and curveball ideas that violate existing narratives. This emphasizes national security, infrastructure, and AI/ML, among others (per firm website).
Where does the underlying wealth come from?
Champion Hill Ventures does not disclose its capital sources. It is not publicly linked to a single family office or endowment. The firm's website makes no mention of LPs or wealth origin.
Is Champion Hill Ventures structured as a single family office or does it operate more like a venture firm?
The firm presents itself as a venture capital firm, not a family office. Its website describes investing across defense, computing, and curveballs, and lists two managing professionals. No family office structure is disclosed.
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