Washington D.C. – As President Donald Trump took office, dozens of tech founders and entrepreneurs flocked to high-profile events, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new administration and potentially secure government support for their businesses.
Many attendees, including Valar Atomics founder Isaiah Taylor, attended exclusive parties and gatherings, rubbing shoulders with influential figures like Sean Spicer and Jordan Peterson. Taylor’s company aims to use nuclear power to generate synthetic hydrocarbon fuel, and he credits Trump’s inauguration as an opportunity to connect with the administration.
However, not all founders found it easy to navigate the complex web of Trump’s inner circle. Tyler Sweatt, CEO of Second Front Systems, expressed frustration over bureaucratic opacity in government contracting processes. Despite this, Sweatt remains optimistic about the potential for collaboration between the startup ecosystem and the federal government.
Other attendees, like Jacob Martin from 2 Punks Capital, had more practical goals in mind. Martin hopes that Trump’s administration can facilitate the use of blockchain technology to create new opportunities and avoid regulatory hurdles.
A few founders saw an opportunity in the newly launched “DOGE” cryptocurrency, including James Layfield from Samplify.ai, who pitched his company’s products to government agencies as a way to reduce costs. Rabi Alam from Counter Health aims to leverage DOGE to streamline the healthcare system while maintaining quality of care.
Despite the excitement and optimism surrounding Trump’s inauguration, some founders acknowledged that staying focused on their day jobs may prove to be the biggest challenge in achieving their goals. As Isaiah Taylor noted, “There are people trying to be in the right room, and there are people trying to get the work done.”
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/21/startup-founders-flooded-inauguration-parties-hopeful-for-dealmaking