PenFed Foundation Selects 12 Veteran-Led Startups for Accelerator

The selected companies span sectors including healthcare, advanced robotics, AI-native software, and consumer goods. Among the participants are innovators like Jordan Clayton of Capiro, who is developing an AI-driven operating system for government affairs, and Emi Kordenbrock, whose firm CuraTech Outdoor Systems automates property maintenance through sensor-based irrigation. The cohort also features Mike White’s Point Ref, which is deploying computer vision to modernize pickleball officiating, and Thomas Lambert and Braydon Welch’s Venora AI, a platform designed to streamline administrative burdens for dental practices.

Terry Williams, a retired U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General and director of the program, noted that San Antonio provides a strategic backdrop for the initiative due to its concentration of military talent. The accelerator focuses on essential growth functions, including investor pitching, brand strategy, and communication refinement. Because the PenFed Foundation covers all costs and does not take equity, the program remains accessible to founders transitioning from military service into private enterprise. The full list of participants includes Budee Systems, ClearPath IP Holdings, Coleman Health Services, Connolly Aerial Services, Essential EA + AI Storm OS, Prosperous Robotics, Safe Haven Senior Advisors, and TDY Rentals.