The Pentagon awarded a satellite surveillance contract last week to a defense startup backed by a venture fund in which Vice President JD Vance holds a stake worth up to $1 million and a right to more than half of the investment profits paid to the fund’s managers.
True Anomaly was one of two companies selected to build prototype satellites for GHOST-R, a Space Force effort to observe and track other spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit. Northrop Grumman received the other award. The value of the contracts has not been disclosed. If True Anomaly’s prototype succeeds, the company could receive more work: Space Systems Command says successful prototypes have a path into its RG-XX surveillance satellite program, and both companies must submit plans for scaling their spacecraft into a full constellation.
Vance co-founded Narya Capital in 2019, with backing from Peter Thiel, and left his position at the firm after winning his Senate seat in 2022, though he retains a substantial financial stake. His latest annual financial disclosure, which covers 2025, lists an investment worth between $500,001 and $1 million in Narya Capital Fund I, in which he is a general partner. PitchBook lists True Anomaly among Narya Capital Fund I’s investments, and True Anomaly named Narya among its investors when it announced a $650 million funding round in April.
