005: Raj Shah - Unit X: The Rise of the Defense Innovation Unit

Raj Shah is a former US Air Force F-16 pilot and was the head of the Defense Innovation Unit, Experimental.  He now leads Shield Capital, an early stage venture capital firm investing in technologies that will secure America’s future.  Raj is the author of Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley Are Transforming the Future of War. 

In this episode of the Defense Tech Underground, we discuss Raj’s journey from small town Georgia to becoming an Air Force pilot, his experience leading the Defense Innovation Unit, the founding and mission of Shield Capital, and his new book Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War, which explores the evolving nature of the Department of Defense’s acquisition of cutting-edge technology for the warfighter.

This episode is hosted by Jeff Phaneuf and Josh Pickering.

Full Bio: 

Raj Shah is the co-founder and managing partner of Shield Capital, an investment firm focused on technologies applicable to both the commercial and defense markets. He is also the chairman of Resilience, a cyber-security start-up and a commissioner on the Department of Defense’s Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution Reform (PPB&E). 

Raj also serves on the Board of Directors to NATO’s Innovation Fund. Most recently he was the managing partner of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx), reporting to the Secretary of Defense. Raj led DIUx in its efforts to strengthen U.S. armed forces through contractual and cultural bridges between Silicon Valley and the Pentagon.

He is the author of the book, Unit X: How the Pentagon and Silicon Valley are Transforming the Future of War. Previously, Raj was senior director of strategy at Palo Alto Networks, which acquired Morta Security, where he was chief executive officer and co-founder. Raj serves as an F-16 pilot in the US Air Force and has completed multiple combat deployments. He holds an AB from Princeton University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.