Team
Led by investors and operators with direct experience in defense technology, autonomous systems, NASA-level aerospace engineering, and enterprise go-to-market
The Preparation Team at a Glance
David Cao —
UxV, Supply Chain
Physical AI Ecosystem ·
F50 Nexus | F50 Ventures
10,000+ startups · 30+ investments
Rick Treleaven —
UxV & Robotics
SoftBank Robotics · PandaDoc ($30M+ ARR) · Physical AI & enterprise GTM
John Gowan — Aerospace
23 years NASA · Series 79 Banker · Shockwave Aerospace Founder
Canice Wu —
Plug and Play President · RocketSpace VP · Salesforce · MIT & UC Berkeley
David Cao
Over 15+ years, David built a ecosystem from a grassroots community to a multi-platform investment, media, and summit franchise spanning Austin and Dallas.
He has reviewed 10,000+ startups, led 30+ direct investments, and managed multiple successful exits including a Nasdaq IPO and several acquisitions by public technology companies.
Key Exits
- Knightscope — Nasdaq IPO
- Doc.AI — 20× return, acquired by Epic Systems
- Invi — acquired by Google
- Voke VR — acquired by Intel
Ecosystem Builder
Beyond investing, David has built some of Silicon Valley's most influential founder communities.
Physical AI Builders
65,000+ members — the leading community for Physical AI founders and operators.
SVE
36,000+ members — Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs, one of the region's largest grassroots networks.
F50 Nexus | Ventures
Physical AI Ecosystem and Executive network
Earlier Stage Venture Investment
John Gowan
Key Highlights
- NASA: 23 years
- License Banker
- Early Stage invetor
An aerospace executive, licensed investment banker, and venture capital investor who has spent over two decades at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and organizational strategy — spanning NASA Mission Control, venture capital, M&A advisory, and company founding.
At NASA's Johnson Space Center, John spent 23 years working on complex and high-stakes spaceflight programs, serving as a Space Shuttle flight controller and leading a division responsible for hypersonic systems, GN&C development, and spacecraft design for Artemis and other exploration programs.
Rick Treleaven
Key Highlights
- SoftBank Robotics — Sr. Director, Ecosystems & Partnerships (Americas)
- PandaDoc — early employee, $30M+ ARR
- AppAssure — acquired by Dell
- Advisor: FieldPulse, Northpass (acquired by Gainsight)
Former Senior Director of Ecosystems & Partnerships for the Americas at SoftBank Robotics, Rick led strategic partnerships and enterprise go-to-market across healthcare, senior living, higher education, and life sciences.
Prior to SoftBank, Rick was an early employee at PandaDoc, helping scale the company from startup to $30M+ ARR. Focus areas: Physical AI, robotics, industrial automation, and enterprise GTM.
Canice Wu
A veteran Silicon Valley product innovator and executive with a proven track record bridging agile startups and Fortune 500 enterprises. Canice served as President of Plug and Play Tech Center, VP at RocketSpace, and spent nearly seven years at Salesforce leading their Insurance Practice.
Career Highlights
- President, Plug and Play Tech Center
- VP, RocketSpace
- Salesforce Insurance Practice Lead
- VP & GM, Siebel Systems
- CEO, Insights OnDemand
- MIT & UC Berkeley
Built to Back the Future of Autonomy
Long100 Capital's team combines rare operational depth — from NASA Mission Control to Fortune 500 C-suites to Silicon Valley's most active deep-tech networks — to identify, back, and scale the next generation of Physical AI and defense technology companies.
Long100 Capital