JTEC

Lonnie Johnson drives investment decisions through JTEC, leveraging his engineering background and patent portfolio via Johnson Research & Development. Patrick Chen, president of the JTECC Companies, and Mike McQuary, CEO of JTEC Energy, serve as named operational partners. Co-investor Bert Ellis also participates through his Ellis Capital vehicle on specific deals.

JTEC is a hybrid — a single family office for Lonnie Johnson that also houses an active operating company in JTEC Energy, a clean-energy startup developing solid-state heat engine technology. Most family offices hold startups as portfolio positions; JTEC actually runs one inside its own structure, giving it a venture-studio character paired with traditional family-office asset management.

Lonnie Johnson's wealth originated primarily from his invention of the Super Soaker water gun, which has generated over $1 billion in retail sales since its 1990 launch. Johnson, an aerospace engineer who worked on NASA's Galileo mission, holds more than 100 patents. His invention royalties and licensing income flow through Johnson Research & Development into JTEC.

JTEC's partnership with Bert Ellis through Ellis Capital signals openness to co-investor structures. The firm's venture and real estate holdings are co-managed with identified partners including Chen and McQuary. Johnson's board and network memberships at organizations like 100 Black Men of Atlanta and the High Museum of Art suggest relationship-driven deal access.

Johnson operates the Johnson STEM Activity Center as a separate philanthropic vehicle focused on STEM education for underserved youth. This foundation runs alongside JTEC rather than inside it, consistent with standard family-office governance separating grant-making from investment operations. Johnson also serves as a trustee for Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Johnson Research & Development is Lonnie Johnson's core invention lab, generating the patent portfolio that underpins JTEC's technology holdings. JTEC Energy is an operating subsidiary within the JTEC family-office structure, commercializing a Johnson-invented solid-state heat engine — effectively a deep-tech startup incubated inside a single-family office rather than as a standalone venture-backed company.

JTEC tilts toward early-stage technology and venture capital, consistent with Johnson's inventor profile and the technical diligence capability resident inside Johnson Research & Development. The firm also holds direct real estate assets across residential, commercial, and mixed-use categories in California and Georgia, suggesting a multi-asset-class approach with real property providing a counterweight to early-stage venture exposure.