Public investment, private capital, and real conversations
On December 11, I attended the K Street Capital event in Washington, DC, an evening that brought together investors, founders, fund managers, and public-sector leaders for thoughtful and substantive discussion. It was a great honour to be able to represent TGS Tech and Apex Engine.
The event was sponsored in partnership with the District of Columbia Government, reflecting a broader commitment by the city to strengthen the local venture ecosystem and support innovation across both private and public markets. That public-private alignment set the tone for the evening and made the conversations feel grounded, purposeful, and forward-looking.
Invite-only roundtables to start the evening
The evening began with an invite-only roundtable session, and being invited to participate was one of the highlights of the event. These sessions were highly interactive and intentionally designed to encourage dialogue rather than pitches.
From a technical standpoint, the conversations were especially engaging. I was able to answer questions directly from both private and government perspectives, covering topics such as deployment realities, security considerations, collaboration challenges, and long-term system design. It was a joy to contribute in depth from a hands-on, engineering-focused perspective and to engage with participants who were genuinely interested in how these systems work in practice.
These were the kinds of discussions where technical nuance was not only welcome, but expected, and where thoughtful questions led to meaningful exchange.
Opening remarks and public-sector leadership
Following the roundtables, the event transitioned into opening remarks, including comments from the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. Hearing from city leadership after those conversations helped contextualize the discussions within the District’s broader investment and innovation strategy. Hearing directly from city leadership reinforced how seriously the District is taking its role in fostering sustainable, technology-driven companies.
It was a pleasure meeting her in person. The conversation was thoughtful, warm, and genuinely engaging. It is always encouraging to see public officials who are curious about technology, attentive to founders, and invested in understanding how innovation translates into real economic and civic impact.
That leadership presence mattered. It framed the evening not as a standalone event, but as part of a larger effort to build durable infrastructure for entrepreneurship in DC and the DMV area.
What investors shared candidly
A recurring theme throughout the evening was a challenge many investors openly acknowledged: the lack of sustained investment into deeply technical, infrastructure-driven platforms.
While there is strong enthusiasm around applied AI and faster-moving software categories, several investors noted how difficult it can be to support platforms that require longer development cycles, significant engineering effort, and patient capital. These are often the systems that enable entire ecosystems, but they do not always fit neatly into short-term return models.
That gap came up repeatedly and resonated strongly with me, given the nature of what we are building with Apex Engine.
Why these conversations mattered
What made the event particularly valuable was how grounded the discussions were in reality. Investors were asking about real procurement timelines, real integration challenges, and real-world adoption across both enterprise and government environments.
I connected with several thoughtful investors and left the evening excited about upcoming meetings where I will be able to share more about Apex Engine, our approach to real-time collaboration, and why foundational platforms matter more than ever.
These conversations felt like the beginning of ongoing relationships, not one-off exchanges.
A strong moment for DC’s innovation ecosystem
This event was a reminder of what makes DC unique. The intersection of government leadership, venture capital, enterprise experience, and technical depth creates space for conversations that go beyond trends and focus on long-term impact.
Thank you to K Street Capital, the District of Columbia, and everyone involved for creating a space that encouraged participation, curiosity, and honest discussion. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the roundtables and for the chance to engage directly with both investors and public-sector leaders.
I am looking forward to continuing these conversations in the months ahead.