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Kelly Perdew

Co-Founder & Managing General Partner, Moonshots Capital
United States,United States
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Kelly Perdew's Overview

Total Experience671 years
CompanyMoonshots Capital
CountryUnited States

Kelly Perdew is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, author, and public speaker. He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he earned a B.S. in National Security and Public Affairs. He subsequently served as a U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer. After his military service, Perdew earned an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management. He gained widespread recognition as the winner of the second season of NBC's reality television show, *The Apprentice*, in 2004. Following his win, he worked for The Trump Organization. Perdew has since co-founded several companies, including TargetClose, an enterprise software company. Currently, he is a Co-founder and Managing General Partner at Moonshots Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in extraordinary leadership, often focusing on military veteran-founded companies and deep technology. He is also the author of 'Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump'.

Professional Summary

Kelly Perdew's work history includes a series of influential roles in various companies. Here is a detailed list of his professional journey:

Moonshots Capital - Co-Founder & Managing General Partner (2014 to Present)
Apptronik - Investor (2025 to Present)
StockApp (stealth) - Investor & Board Member (2025 to Present)
Gallatin AI - Investor (2024 to Present)
SandboxAQ - Investor (2024 to Present)
xAI - Investor (2024 to Present)
Figure - Investor (2024 to Present)
Ghostdog - Investor (2024 to Present)
Matchday - Investor and Advisor (2023 to Present)
Proteus Space, Inc. - Investor (2023 to Present)
Outpost - Investor (2022 to Present)
Cleary - Investor & Board Member (2022 to Present)
ReturnLogic - Investor (2022 to Present)
REALLY - Investor (2022 to Present)
Cartwheel - Investor (2022 to Present)
Azibo - Investor (2022 to Present)
GrubMarket Inc. - Investor (2021 to Present)
Able - Investor (2021 to Present)
SGNL - Investor (2021 to Present)
Groundswell - Investor (2021 to Present)
Cart.com - Investor (2021 to Present)
Bunker Labs - Executive Board Member (2019 to Present)
Afterparty - Investor (2021 to Present)
VersusGame - Investor (2021 to Present)
Realize.me - Investor (2021 to Present)
Pacaso - Investor (2021 to Present)
Carta - Investor (2021 to Present)
Robinhood - Investor (2020 to Present)
Transmute - Board Member and Investor (2020 to Present)
X2 PERFORMANCE® - Investor (2021 to Present)
nok - Board Member and Investor (2019 to Present)
Wildfire Systems, Inc - Investor (2019 to Present)
BioThread - Investor (2019 to Present)
The Quantum Storey Company, Inc. - Investor (2019 to Present)
RED6 Aerospace - Board Member and Investor (2019 to Present)
Milestone Brands, LLC - Investor (2018 to Present)
Vacayou Wellness & Active Travel - Investor (2019 to Present)
Copper Labs - Investor (2019 to Present)
CESPPA - Investor (2019 to Present)
Zabo - Investor (2020 to Present)
Backtracks, Inc. - Board Member and Investor (2019 to Present)
Catalog - Board Member and Investor (2018 to Present)
Shep - Investor (2018 to Present)
PlanetiQ - Investor (2017 to Present)
Emerge - Investor (2017 to Present)
Slack - Investor (2017 to Present)
ProducePay - Investor (2017 to Present)
PlushCare - Delivering Health and Happiness - Investor (2016 to Present)
Pray.com - Investor (2016 to Present)
GoMeta, Inc - Investor (2016 to Present)
PreFix Inc. - Investor (2016 to Present)
Unoceros Corporation - Investor (2015 to Present)
Synergy Fuels - Board Member and Investor (2015 to Present)
Domuso - Investor (2015 to Present)
HONK Technologies - Investor (2015 to Present)
MobLabs - Advisor and Investor (2014 to Present)
ClassPass - Investor in Fitmob (acquired by ClassPass) (2015 to Present)
Co - Investor (2015 to Present)
TargetClose - Co-Founder (2012 to Present)
Edbacker - Investor (2014 to Present)
HiQ Labs - Investor (2014 to Present)
Arx Pax - Advisor and Investor (2014 to Present)
en*theos - Advisor & Investor (2014 to Present)
Boomtown inc - Advisor & Investor (2014 to Present)
Thrively - Advisor & Investor (2013 to Present)
lettrs - Advisor & Investor (2013 to Present)
APX Labs - Investor (and former Board Member) (2012 to Present)
Nimble - Investor (2012 to Present)
Scopely - Advisor & Investor (2012 to Present)
Amplify.la - Mentor (2011 to Present)
MuckerLab - Mentor (2011 to Present)
Ampsy - Investor (2011 to Present)
Social Rewards, Inc. - Investor (2011 to Present)
ID.me - Board Member & Investor (2010 to Present)
GatherGreen - Advisor (2010 to Present)
TAKE COMMAND: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump - Speaker and Author (2005 to Present)
Perdew Properties, LLC - Founder (2004 to Present)
Zuma Ventures - Advisor and Investor (2015 to Present)
Roost - Investor (2015 to Present)
Gretel.ai - Board Member and Investor (Acquired by NVIDIA) (2019 to 2025)
CrossChx - Investor (2016 to 2023)
Yonder - Board Member and Investor (2018 to 2022)
eTailPet - Board Member and Investor (2019 to 2022)
Fair.com - Investor (2016 to 2022)
nxyz - Investor (2022 to 2022)
DuMont Project - Managing Partner (2011 to 2021)
Consensus Point - Board Member (2012 to 2020)
Threatcare - Investor (2017 to 2019)
Reachify - Investor (2016 to 2018)
Bitium - Board Member & Investor (2012 to 2017)
Yoi Corp - Investor (2016 to 2017)
harvest.ai (formerly 405Labs) Acquired by AMZN - Board Member and Investor (2014 to 2016)
Ustream, an IBM Company - Advisor (2011 to 2016)
Electronic Retailing Association - Chairman, Digital Council (2013 to 2015)
RideScout (Acquired by Daimler) - Board Member & Investor (2012 to 2014)
Klout (Acquired by Lithium Technologies) - Investor (2010 to 2014)
BetterWorks - Investor (2010 to 2012)
Founder Institute - Mentor (2010 to 2012)
Fastpoint Games (Acquired by WePlay) - CEO (2008 to 2011)
Parentella - Advisory Board (2010 to 2011)

Notable Achievements

Winner of The Apprentice, Season 2

Successfully competed against numerous candidates on the popular NBC reality television show hosted by Donald Trump, securing a one-year, $250,000 contract to oversee a major construction project for The Trump Organization.

Co-founder and Managing General Partner, Moonshots Capital

Co-founded and leads Moonshots Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in seed and Series A stage technology companies, with a notable focus on veteran-led startups and transformative technologies.

Distinguished Military Service

Served as a U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer after graduating from West Point, developing strong leadership and strategic planning skills.

Author of 'Take Command'

Authored the book 'Take Command: 10 Leadership Principles I Learned in the Military and Put to Work for Donald Trump,' sharing insights on leadership derived from his military and business experiences.

Serial Entrepreneur

Has founded or co-founded multiple companies in the technology and services sectors, demonstrating significant entrepreneurial drive and business development expertise.

Educational Background

JD and MBA, Law and Business Graduate Degrees

University of California, Los Angeles - School of Law - Year 1992

MBA and JD Degrees, Entrepreneurship

UCLA Anderson School of Management - Year 1992

BS, National Security and Public Affairs

United States Military Academy at West Point - Year 1985

Semester Exchange

United States Naval Academy - Year 1988

Wyoming High School Hoops!

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Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
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Corporate Finance

Company Overview

Moonshots Capital
Total employees10
HeadquartersAustin
Founded2015

Moonshots Capital is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in extraordinary leadership. They focus on seed and Series A stage companies, particularly those founded and led by military veterans or with strong ties to the U.S. armed forces, believing these leaders possess unique discipline, resilience, and problem-solving skills. Their portfolio spans various sectors including enterprise software, cybersecurity, and consumer technology.

Moonshots Capital Funding Information
$98M - Total Funding Raised
$42M - Most recent funding amount
3 - Number of funding rounds
Jan, 2024 - Latest funding round
Lead Investors:
Kelly Perdew (General Partner)
Craig Cummings (General Partner)
Limited Partners (Typically confidential for VC funds, representing institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals who invest in Moonshots Capital's funds)

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