Engineering clarity from complexity to reveal opportunity.
We invest in daring founders engineering the future — founders who use science and technology to reframe possibility. We believe deep tech is more than a category; it’s a discipline rooted in first principles, long-term vision, and an unshakable belief in progress. Real change doesn’t follow the market. It’s led by those determined to build the future from the ground up.
About Dennis R. Pape – Founder & Managing Partner
For over three decades, Dennis Pape has helped shape Florida’s innovation economy — not just as a founder and investor, but as a champion for innovation.
A physicist by training and engineer at heart, Dennis has built and scaled deep tech startups, launched accelerator programs, and developed a robust network of founders, investors, and innovation hubs across the nation. He sees eye-to-eye with technical founders because he’s been one — and he knows what it takes to turn complex ideas into enduring ventures.
At Phase Shift Ventures, Dennis brings a core belief: that Central Florida can be the proving ground for the next wave of global innovation — and that the future belongs to those bold enough to build it.
Why Florida? Why now?
With a legacy aerospace and defense sector that has shaped decades of innovation — from advanced communication to autonomous systems to electronic warfare and advance signal and optical processing — Florida offers a uniquely strategic foundation for today’s deep tech renaissance.
The region is home to world-class research universities, a large and growing pool of engineering and scientific talent, and a long-standing tradition of public-private collaboration in mission-critical industries. Florida’s combination of scientific and engineering talent, dual-use infrastructure, and increasing venture interest makes it a natural launchpad for deep tech startups.
As national priorities shift toward reindustrialization, technological sovereignty, and dual-use innovation, Florida’s venture future is on the rise.
Leading the Shift Nationwide
The next frontier of American innovation is being engineered here — and we’re backing the ones bold enough to build it.
#1 provider of talent in the nation to the aerospace and defense sector
Florida is where deep tech goes from concept to launch pad with the 2nd largest aerospace and defense sector in the U.S.
529,000+ STEM employees
A deep pool of technical talent powering Florida’s next wave of innovation and dual-use breakthroughs.
$4.4B in VC raised by Florida startups in 2024
Movement and momentum that can be capitalized on by launching more companies who can leverage deep tech talent.
