Four Former DOGE Staffers Raise $160 Million for AI Military Cyber Startup
Cathedral, backed by a16z and Sequoia, is a stealth military cybersecurity startup founded by four former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers. The company has secured a $160 million funding round at a $1.4 billion valuation, with Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital leading the investment and securing board seats.
Gavin Kliger, Cathedral‘s co-founder, served as the Pentagon’s chief data officer, playing a role in the department’s legal dispute with Anthropic over Claude’s use by the military. The startup aims to conduct AI-driven cyber operations against US adversaries, primarily China, and secure government contracts.
The other founders are Luke Farritor, Marko Elez, and Jack Stein. They all have deep connections to the Trump administration and national security officials. Cathedral is exploring partnerships or acquisitions with data center providers to gain dedicated compute power for its operations.
This funding highlights how DOGE alumni are leveraging their government experience to create startups that cater to the federal government’s needs. With over 250,000 federal employees leaving during DOGE’s cost-cutting campaign in 2025, these former staffers are now building companies to sell services back to the government they formerly worked for.
Market Trends and Government Priorities
Cathedral‘s entrance into the defense tech sector aligns with the rapid growth of AI-related investments and the US administration’s focus on AI-driven cyber defense, as evident from the launch of Gold Eagle, an AI-powered cyber vulnerability clearinghouse.
The $1.4 billion valuation, despite no disclosed revenue or contracts, reflects investor confidence in the founders’ government connections. The startup’s success will hinge on its ability to convert these connections into government contracts and demonstrate the quality of its military software.