By Krystal Hu
(Reuters) – Venture capital firm Eclipse has hired former Trump administration trade advisor Thomas Storch as its first head of policy and government affairs, the latest Silicon Valley firm seeking to build a larger presence in Washington and establish a line of communication with the administration on policymaking.
The move comes as Eclipse, which focuses on backing startups serving the physical industry across advanced manufacturing and defense, seeks to strengthen its ties with a new administration expected to be tech-friendly. In an interview, Storch said he has seen more openness from the administration to work with the tech industry.
“Obviously, in this administration, there’s a number of people who now come from the tech world, so I think it’s very natural that some of those conversations would come together,” he said. Vice President JD Vance previously worked as a venture capitalist.
“I think that it gives a sense of optimism that they’re rowing in the same direction, that when they go in for meetings with government, the atmosphere and the message is, how can we do things together productively, and not what are the things that are going to slow you down?” Storch said.
Storch, who has worked in both private and public sectors, will focus on explaining White House policies to portfolio companies and participating in policymaking conversations in Washington. Amid rising geopolitical competition, his pitch focuses on strengthening U.S. physical industries through collaboration between the private and public sectors, including deploying more energy and adopting advanced AI infrastructure.
Not every policy from the new administration would benefit tech companies. Tariffs, for example, could increase manufacturing costs for startups building physical products.
Storch, who worked on trade policy during Trump’s first term, emphasized that tariffs were not just about trade policy but represented a broader approach to economic security, which could strengthen domestic manufacturing and protect critical industries.
Founded by Lior Susan in 2015, Eclipse’s portfolio companies include chipmaker Cerebras, space startup True Anomaly, and Ursa Major.
The appointment highlights a growing trend of VC firms hiring policy experts as government involvement in technology sectors increases, particularly in areas deemed critical to national security and economic competitiveness. Firms like Andreessen Horowitz, known for its American Dynamism investment strategy, has established a major presence in DC.
(Reporting by Krystal Hu in New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
