Crane has focused on data, AI, security and infrastructure companies since our formation in 2015. Some of our very first investments include Onfido, Tessian, Cyberhaven, H2O.ai, PQShield, Axiom and Tinybird. Fast forward eight years, and the platform shift we have been anticipating is now in full force. We are entering a world of software that is becoming machine-learned, developer-first and open-source.
To help us continue partnering with the most ambitious founders and working closely to fulfil their visions, we are excited to announce that Zac Dannelly has joined Crane as a Venture Partner based in London. As a Venture Partner at Crane, Zac will support founders working within the cybersecurity and ML domains and counsel the entire portfolio on technical team building and the topic of national security.
Zac began his military service as a member of the inaugural class of Cyber Operations majors at the United States Naval Academy. He went on to earn graduate degrees at the University of Cambridge and Stanford University. Throughout his studies, he focused on addressing security challenges related to AI/ML implementation within the public sector.
Zac applied this academic foundation as a Cyber Warfare Engineer within the US Navy to several uniquely tailored roles. He served as the first Chief Data Scientist for the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Defense Industrial Base (DIB) Office and later as Deputy Chief Operations Officer for the Cybersecurity Collaboration Center. In these roles, Zac built the foundation for robust technical partnerships between the NSA and private sector partners, growing to more than 200 participants in the program. For his final military role, he helped to found US Fleet Cyber Command’s Machine Learning Development Squadron and served as its inaugural director. This group served as a first-of-its-kind uniformed development team that rapidly created data science solutions for tactical problems. His dedication and leadership earned him numerous military decorations, including three Joint Achievement Medals, a Navy Commendation Medal, a Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and the NSA’s Innovation Medallion.
Currently, Zac is the founder of an early-stage startup tackling problems within national security while continuing his service as a US Navy Reserve Officer supporting cybersecurity efforts in London.
Welcome to the Crane Herd Zac!