Phil Hellmuth Jr., the winningest poker player of all time, interviews 22-year-old Jakob Diepenbrock, GP of Discipulus Ventures, a hard tech fund that’s already 4x on its first fund.
Based in El Segundo (the most concentrated hard tech hub in the world), Discipulus runs a unique model: 10 founders per cohort, living together in a house with a chef, building companies in aerospace, defense, mining, and manufacturing.
From Durin Mining (autonomous drill rigs) to Anew Technology (long-range defense lasers, up 40x from entry), this conversation covers how a 22-year-old is beating billion-dollar funds to the best deals — and why El Segundo is the new Silicon Valley for atoms, not bits.
Key topics:
- 22 years old, second fund, first fund already 4x
- The cohort model: 10 founders living together
- El Segundo: highest density of machine shops in the US
- “SpaceX pays 1/3 of Blue Origin. Gets the best engineers.”
- Portfolio highlight: Anew Technology — in at $2.5M, now raised $30M round
- Durin Mining: autonomous drill rigs, up ~20x
- The “valley of death” for defense startups
- Why young engineers want to build for the country, not chatbots
Speakers:
- Jakob Diepenbrock, GP, Discipulus Ventures
- Phil Hellmuth Jr., The Winningest Poker Player of All Time; Investor
Recorded at Global Alts Miami 2026 | Presented by iConnections
