Key Takeaways
- • Rob Born, a 25-year venture capital and investment banking veteran, has joined Academy Ventures as Partner, bringing experience from guiding Vocera Communications through a $3 billion acquisition by Stryker that resulted in approximately 10x stock price appreciation.
- • Academy Ventures, the venture capital arm of Academy Securities (the nation's first Post-9/11 veteran-owned investment bank), is expanding its early-stage defense technology investing practice with Born's addition to the team.
- • Academy Ventures has deployed capital into over 20 companies to date using internal partners' capital and plans to open its fund to select outside institutional investment capital in the near future.
- • Born's background spans venture capital partnerships at Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, corporate development leadership at Vocera Communications, and early-stage technology investment banking at Montgomery Securities, positioning him to identify and evaluate defense technology opportunities.
- • Academy Securities Chairman and CEO Chance Mims cited Born's two-decade track record in building and investing in technology companies as critical to strengthening the firm's defense technology investing capabilities.
Summary
Academy Securities, the nation's first Post-9/11 veteran-owned and operated investment bank, announced on August 11, 2026, that Rob Born has joined Academy Ventures, its venture capital arm, as Partner. The appointment underscores the firm's strategic focus on expanding its early-stage defense technology investing practice through leadership with deep operating and investment experience.
Born brings 25 years of venture capital, operating, and investment banking expertise in the technology sector. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development at Vocera Communications (NYSE: VCRA), where he led the strategic transformation of the company into an intelligent workflow software provider. This transformation resulted in approximately a 10x increase in stock price before Vocera's acquisition by Stryker for $3 billion—a transaction that Academy's leadership cited as evidence of Born's investment judgment and strategic execution capability.
Prior to his tenure at Vocera, Born was a Partner at Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, an early-stage technology venture capital fund where he built a successful investing track record. His career began as a technology company investment banker at Montgomery Securities, providing him with comprehensive exposure to capital markets, corporate finance, and venture investing across multiple market cycles. Born holds a J.D. and M.B.A. from Duke University and a B.A. from Amherst College; he is also a member of the State Bar of California.
Academy Ventures has invested in over 20 companies to date using internal capital from firm partners. The fund plans to open selective positions to outside institutional investment capital in the near future, signaling an expansion of its asset base and institutional presence. Academy Securities Chairman and CEO Chance Mims stated that Born's addition strengthens the firm's ability to identify and deploy capital into early-stage defense technology opportunities, reflecting both his venture capital pedigree and his hands-on experience guiding mature technology companies through high-value strategic transformations.
Born brings 25 years of venture capital, operating, and investment banking expertise in the technology sector. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Corporate and Business Development at Vocera Communications (NYSE: VCRA), where he led the strategic transformation of the company into an intelligent workflow software provider. This transformation resulted in approximately a 10x increase in stock price before Vocera's acquisition by Stryker for $3 billion—a transaction that Academy's leadership cited as evidence of Born's investment judgment and strategic execution capability.
Prior to his tenure at Vocera, Born was a Partner at Thomas Weisel Venture Partners, an early-stage technology venture capital fund where he built a successful investing track record. His career began as a technology company investment banker at Montgomery Securities, providing him with comprehensive exposure to capital markets, corporate finance, and venture investing across multiple market cycles. Born holds a J.D. and M.B.A. from Duke University and a B.A. from Amherst College; he is also a member of the State Bar of California.
Academy Ventures has invested in over 20 companies to date using internal capital from firm partners. The fund plans to open selective positions to outside institutional investment capital in the near future, signaling an expansion of its asset base and institutional presence. Academy Securities Chairman and CEO Chance Mims stated that Born's addition strengthens the firm's ability to identify and deploy capital into early-stage defense technology opportunities, reflecting both his venture capital pedigree and his hands-on experience guiding mature technology companies through high-value strategic transformations.
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