Four ex-DOGE employees secured $160 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion for an AI-focused military cybersecurity startup.

      Cathedral, a stealth military cybersecurity startup established by four former staff members of the Department of Government Efficiency, has secured $160 million at a valuation of $1.4 billion. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital spearheaded the funding round and both now hold board positions. The company aims to win US government contracts for AI-enhanced offensive and defensive cyber operations targeting adversaries such as China.

      The founders include Gavin Kliger, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez, and Jack Stein. Kliger previously served as the chief data officer at the Pentagon, where he was part of the department's legal dispute with Anthropic regarding the military's use of Claude. The founding team has strong connections to the Trump administration and national security personnel. Cathedral is also seeking to acquire or partner with a data center provider for dedicated computing power to support its cyber operations.

      This funding highlights how DOGE alumni are transforming government connections into venture capital. Over 250,000 individuals exited the federal workforce during DOGE’s budget-cutting initiative in 2025. Those who managed those initiatives are now creating companies that sell services back to the government they helped reshape. Anduril recently raised $5 billion at a $61 billion valuation as the defense tech sector attracts funding rapidly, and Cathedral is entering the same arena with the added benefit of founders who have held senior roles within the agencies they intend to serve.

      The $1.4 billion valuation for a company with no reported revenue or contracts demonstrates investor trust in the team’s government ties rather than the product's proven effectiveness. This month, the White House initiated Gold Eagle, an AI-based cyber vulnerability clearinghouse, indicating the administration's prioritization of AI-driven cyber defense. Cathedral aims to be among the companies that capitalize on this focus. However, the crucial question for the next funding round will be whether a startup founded by cost-cutters can develop enterprise-grade military software, which will need to be validated through contracts rather than just connections.