When Washington D.C. tech accelerator and advisory firm Dcode launched its investment arm in 2019, called Dcode Capital, not only would more funding be directed toward innovation in the federal market, but it also placed three highly experienced and talented women into leadership positions of the new fund.
Prior to becoming a Dcode Capital partner, Meg Vorland, co-founded Dcode where she served as the chief strategy officer, overseeing core business functions, strategy, and growth into new markets. Meagan Metzger, also a Dcode Capital partner, was the founder and CEO of Dcode, having previously worked as chief operating officer of a government-focused mobile and cloud company. Rounding out the Dcode Capital team is Rebecca Gevalt who as Dcode’s tech managing director built and operated the stage-agnostic accelerator program that scales venture-backed tech for the federal market.
The three partners with extensive experience in the federal market and tech arenas advantageously position themselves to advocate for the adoption of commercial technology to reduce government waste—that is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Through their efforts, at both Dcode and Dcode Capital, they are able to facilitate important connections between those building innovative platforms and those in government who seek tech solutions to modernize government infrastructure and processes.
Since Dcode Capital’s launch from the accelerator just over two years ago, funds have been primarily directed to companies graduating from Dcode’s programming. Those investments include DroneSeed, HYAS, Hyperscience, Stardog, StreamSets, and Trifacta. The team’s early portfoio successes include the acquisitions of StreamSets and Trifacta and Hyperscience reaching a valuation of over $1billion.
Dcode Capital recently announced its latest funding decisions that included participation in UrbanFootprint’s $25 million Series B round. Following their established blueprint, the team built a relationship with the UrbanFootprint founders that later led them to fund the company. Its mission is to deliver intelligence to federal decision makers in the areas of food security, climate risk, energy security, urban mobility, and healthcare preparedness.
“We’ve been fortunate to work with UrbanFootprint for over a year, and the team and technology are fantastic,” said Vorland. “UrbanFootprint will enable the government to make better-informed decisions in allocating resources for a more equitable and sustainable future.”
Joe DiStefano, CEO of UrbanFootprint, recognized how Dcode and Dcode Capital supported his company and the importance of relationship building, stating, “They are uniquely positioned to accelerate us into the federal market and enable better decision-making on critical infrastructure investments. Prior to Dcode’s investment, we had been working together for a year. This model established solid relationships and gave us great confidence to expand our partnership.”
Dcode Capital also announced its investment in Tamr, another company that the team concluded has the potential to transform the U.S. government. The tech startup is a leading cloud-native data mastering solution from which one application has already been recognized, the combining of government datasets to more quickly identify suspicious travelers. The company’s innovation gained notable recognition by being the first-ever winner of a Phase 5 award from the Department of Homeland Security’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program.
With these funding successes in just over two years, the three women tech leaders have much to tout about in the federal market. The Dcode accelerator established just over five years ago has helped over 100 venture-backed technology companies to enter and scale in that market. It is recognized as a source for ongoing high quality deal flow of promising tech companies that includes conducting due diligence for Dcode Capital’s portfolio companies’ federal GTM.
“We make the federal market easy for tech companies, and the startup landscape accessible to the federal market,” said Dcode Capital Manager Metzger. “We’re thrilled to add UrbanFootprint and Tamr to our portfolio as we tackle the problem from both sides and advance this infrastructure into the future.”
