DOGE alumni launch Cathedral military cyber startup at $1.4 billion valuation, Reuters says

A team of former Department of Government Efficiency employees raised funding for Cathedral, a startup that aims to use AI to expand U.S. military cyber capabilities, three sources told Reuters. The company closed a $160 million round in recent weeks that valued it at $1.4 billion, the sources said. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia Capital led the round and both took board seats, two sources said. Cathedral was launched in recent months with plans to seek U.S. government contracts for AI-driven offensive and defensive cyber operations against adversaries such as China, two sources said. The company is also looking to acquire a data center or partner with a provider for dedicated compute. Co-founders include former DOGE staffers Gavin Kliger, Luke Farritor, Marko Elez, and Jack Stein. Reuters reported that Cathedral's valuation, name, and mission, and Elez's involvement, had not been previously reported, though Vanity Fair earlier said the other founders had started an AI-focused national security company. A Cathedral spokesperson declined to comment. Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia did not respond to requests for comment. Until recently Kliger was chief data officer at the Pentagon and was involved in the department's legal fight with Anthropic over military use of its AI technology, people familiar with the matter said. One source said Cathedral could secure major government contracts as the Pentagon and agencies such as the Office of Strategic Capital partner more actively with startups. Sources also said the company's Trump administration ties could bring political risk if Democrats gain ground after the November midterms.