Cortado Ventures Doubleshot Newsletter: April 2026

by | Apr 15, 2026 | Media, Newsletters

Cortado Ventures backs early-stage founders building scalable companies across the Midcontinent, with a focus on long-term value creation and regional growth.

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)

This month, we highlight General Partner Jim Bridenstine’s national media appearances on Newsmax and Fox News discussing the significance of Artemis II and what it signals for the future of American leadership in space. We also feature insights from Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding on the Business Stars Podcast, alongside an upcoming live webinar hosted by Strategic Partner David Woods focused on building meaningful professional relationships.

We continue to amplify emerging voices through our NextGen Insights series, with the latest blog from intern Zaine French, and spotlight Equipt AI as this month’s Portco Highlight. Across the portfolio, companies including Agentech, AI Driller, Cadenza Bio, OX, Inc., and Sober Sidekick are making meaningful progress. We close with open roles across the portfolio and upcoming events shaping the ecosystem.

Newsletter Elements

  • Cortado News
    • GP Jim Bridenstine spoke on Artemis II launch with Newsmax and Fox News
    • MP Nathaniel Harding on Business Stars Podcast
    • NextGen Insights blog by Zaine French
    • Live Webinar: The Art of Networking hosted by David Woods

       

  • Portco News
    • Portco Highlight: Equipt AI
    • Portcos In The News
      • Sober Sidekick
      • Agentech
      • AI Driller
      • Cadenza Bio
      • Ox, Inc
    • Portco Jobs
  • Ecosystem News & Events

Cortado News

General Partner Jim Bridenstine featured for Artemis II Launch with Newsmax & Fox News

Jim Bridenstine, Managing Partner of The Artemis Group, former NASA Administrator, and Cortado Ventures General Partner, joined Newsmax and Fox News from Cortado Ventures headquarters to discuss the Artemis II mission and what this next chapter of space exploration means for America. Artemis II is expected to mark NASA’s first crewed lunar mission in more than 50 years and represents a major step toward sustained human presence on the moon, future lunar infrastructure, and eventual missions to Mars. In both interviews, Jim emphasized the mission as a display of American leadership, innovation, and long-term ambition.

Watch his full interviews below.
Newsmax: Bridenstine to Newsmax: Artemis II Launch Shows ‘American Greatness’

Fox News: Artemis II moon mission: Astronauts prepare for first lunar journey in decades | Fox News Video

Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding featured on Business Stars Podcast with Kyle Golding

Managing Partner Nathaniel Harding joined Kyle Golding on the Business Stars Podcast to discuss how his education shaped his career path and long-term approach to investing.

Reflecting on his time at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business, Nathaniel highlights how pursuing his MBA while continuing to work created the flexibility and momentum that fueled his commitment to continuous growth and lifelong learning.

Watch the full interview here.

NextGen Insights:
The Stars Are Closer Than You Think

In Zaine French’s NextGen Insights blog piece, “The Stars Are Closer Than You Think” he explores how innovation in space and emerging technologies is bringing once-distant possibilities within reach, reshaping how we think about access, exploration, and the future of the industry.

Subscribe to our Medium page, Cortado Ventures Insights, to read Zaine’s full article.

Read Zaine’s full blog post here.

 

The Art of Networking
Live Webinar with Strategic Partner David Woods

Cortado Ventures Co-Founder and Strategic Partner, David Woods is hosting a live webinar on April 29 at 11:00 AM CST, focused on building meaningful connections that go beyond surface-level networking.

Based on his book, The Art of Networking, David will share practical insights on how to approach conversations with confidence, navigate real-world settings, and create lasting professional relationships. Registration includes a signed copy of the book.

Tickets are $75, or $60 per person for teams of five or more. Use exclusive code “NetworkAccess” to access the $60 rate. Registration ends April 27th!

Register here.

Events We’re Attending

A look at where our team is showing up and connecting this month.

04/16-04/20 – Space Symposium – Colorado Springs, CO

04/20 – 04/21 – Onward Fx – Bentonville, AR

04/20 – 04/23 – TABOR – Ft. Lauderdale, FL

04/22 – Pitches, Pizza & Pints – OKC, OK

04/26 – 04/29 – Inversion Summit – New Orleans, LA

04/29 – The Art of Networking – Live Webinar

Portco News

Portco Highlight: Equipt AI

Meet this month’s Portco highlight, Equipt.ai, a Houston-based software company founded and led by Indrajit Datta.

Recognizing the inefficiencies of managing equipment and field operations through fragmented systems, Datta and his team built a platform designed to unify and modernize asset-heavy operations.

Equipt.ai delivers AI-powered solutions that streamline asset and field service management for energy equipment providers, steel manufacturers, power utilities, and critical infrastructure operators. Its platform analyzes operational data in real time to maximize asset utilization and minimize downtime, compressing processes that once took hours into minutes. By eliminating manual workflows and integrating with existing enterprise systems, Equipt enables faster, more informed decision-making at scale.

We invested in Equipt.ai in 2025 based on the team’s deep industry experience and clear understanding of the problem. Datta and his co-founders bring over 50 years of combined experience across field operations, P&L leadership, and enterprise software development. Their perspective as operators turned builders positions the company to replace legacy systems and capture growing demand for intelligent asset management.

Read about Why We Invested in Equipt.ai on our Cortado Ventures Insights page.

Keep up with Equipt.ai: Website | LisnkedIn

Portcos In The News

Sober Sidekick CTO Jordan Carlisle delivers a TEDx Talk on Tech-Enabled Addiction Recovery

Sober Sidekick’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, Jordan Carlisle, delivered a TEDx talk focused on building a personalized operating system for health. The talk explores how data-driven, individualized approaches can improve engagement, motivation, and long-term outcomes, particularly in addiction recovery.

By emphasizing prevention and personalization, the discussion aligns closely with Sober Sidekick’s mission to support individuals before crisis points and reflects a broader shift toward more tailored and proactive healthcare models.

Read more on Linkedin here.
Watch the full Tedx Talk here.

Agentech Publishes AI Claims Analysis Article

Agentech published a perspective on the growing saturation of AI across insurance claims technology, highlighting the gap between widespread adoption and true enterprise readiness. The article outlines how many solutions remain surface-level, while more mature platforms are defined by strong architecture, governance, and measurable outcomes in production environments. It also emphasizes the increasing importance of security, compliance, and seamless integration as key decision factors for buyers.

Read the full article here.

In addition, Agentech’s CEO Alex Pezold, is scheduled to speak at the upcoming Verge OKC event, “Pitches, Pizza and Pints,” on April 29, reflecting the company’s continued presence in industry conversations and engagement within the startup ecosystem.

RSVP to Verge OKC’s Pitches, Pizza, and Pints here.

AI Driller Integrates with Intelligent Wellhead Systems

AI Driller announced an integration with Intelligent Wellhead Systems, enabling seamless data streaming between drilling and completions operations. The integration allows users to pull completion data directly into AI Driller’s platform for unified analytics and business intelligence without additional hardware or complex setup. By connecting these data streams, the platform provides a more complete view of the well lifecycle, supporting better decision-making across operations.

Read more on AI Driller’s Linkedin here.

Cadenza Bio CEO Carol Curtis on Panel at Engineering for Women’s Health Conference

Cadenza Bio CEO Carol Curtis, Ph.D. was chosen to participate in the Engineering for Women’s Health conference at Tufts University, contributing to conversations shaping the future of women’s health innovation. Dr. Curtis shared insights on emerging opportunities in the field. The event also highlighted strong momentum among early-career researchers, reflecting continued advancement and collaboration across the next generation of scientific leadership.

Read more on Cadenza Bio’s Linkedin here.

Ox, Inc CEO Discusses the Future of Digital Warehousing

Ox, Inc. CEO and Cofounder Tanner Green joined Manifest Vegas for a conversation on the concept of digital warehousing and its role in modern logistics. The discussion explored how technology is reshaping warehouse operations and enabling more efficient, connected systems. The conversation reflects Ox’s focus on building solutions that support evolving supply chain needs.

Watch the full interview here.

Portco Jobs

Our portfolio companies are growing. Explore open roles across sectors from engineering and sales to data science and operations.

Ecosystem News & Events

What’s Happening in the Midcontinent?

Want to stay on top of everything happening across the Midcontinent? Get plugged in with Midcon VC by subscribing to the newsletter and join the network connecting founders, investors, and builders across the region. Be the first to hear about upcoming events, opportunities, and the 2026 Midcon VC Summit.

Subscribe to the Midcon Monthly here.

Ecosystem Events