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Exponential Impact
Exponential Impact is a company founded in 2017 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It focuses on supporting entrepreneurs in the emerging technology startup...
Exponential Impact
Exponential Impact is a company founded in 2017 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It focuses on supporting entrepreneurs in the emerging technology startup sector. The company offers programs to equip startups with resources and expertise, primarily serving early-stage technology startups.
General information
Firm type
Foundation
Year founded
2017
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Palo Alto
Corporate office
Palo Alto, CA, United States
Principals
John Hering
Co-founder
Naren Shaam
Co-founder
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Exponential Impact?
Co-founders John Hering and Naren Shaam lead the firm's investment decisions. Hering previously co-founded Lookout, a mobile-security company, and brings deep cybersecurity and technical operating experience. Shaam founded the travel platform Omio and provides expertise in scaling technology companies internationally.
Does Exponential Impact operate as a fund or an accelerator?
Exponential Impact operates primarily as a seed-stage accelerator with a structured cohort model. It provides capital, mentorship, and access to defense and government networks, rather than functioning as an open-ended venture fund making ad-hoc commitments across multiple stages.
What sectors does Exponential Impact target?
The firm targets companies operating in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, space systems, and enterprise infrastructure, with a unifying thread of national-security applications. Its portfolio includes companies developing hypersonic aircraft, AI-driven defense software, and related dual-use technologies.
Is Exponential Impact a single-family office?
No. Exponential Impact is a venture accelerator and seed fund founded by two operators, not a family office. It does not manage the private wealth of a single family but rather raises and deploys capital into early-stage companies with a specific national-security investment thesis.
How does Exponential Impact source its investment opportunities?
The firm draws on the founders' deep networks in cybersecurity, enterprise software, and the San Francisco Bay Area startup ecosystem. Its accelerator model also creates an inbound pipeline of founders specifically interested in the national-security and dual-use technology space, supplementing proactive sourcing by Hering and Shaam.
Does Exponential Impact participate in follow-on investments beyond the seed stage?
Public record does not specify a formal follow-on fund. The firm structures its engagement through accelerator cohorts, with the primary emphasis on initial seed-stage capital. Specific follow-on policies are not disclosed.
What is Exponential Impact's relationship to Hering's prior company, Lookout?
There is no formal structural link between Exponential Impact and Lookout beyond the co-founder connection. John Hering started Exponential Impact several years after stepping away from day-to-day operations at Lookout, applying his cybersecurity and threat-modeling expertise to early-stage defense technology investing.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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