Matt Grimm

Matt Grimm studied at Cornell University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a master’s degree in Systems Engineering. While a student, he and Brian SchimpfBrian SchimpfBrian Schimpf is co-founder and chief executive officer of the U.S. defense technology company Anduril Industries. A Cornell University graduate, he spent nearly a decade at Palantir, where as director of engineering he led the teams that built the Foundry platform.Open the full entry co-initiated the university’s autonomous vehicle project for the DARPA Grand Challenge and Urban Challenge.⁠[1]

In 2005, Cornell University reported that Grimm was the business team leader of its autonomous vehicle team. The project had about 30 students, with work divided among computing, mechanical, sensor, and business functions; the competition vehicle, Titan, was modified from a Spider Light Strike Vehicle made by Singapore Technologies and navigated autonomously using sensors and computers.⁠[2]

Grimm raised about $450,000 in cash and equipment for the project, of which about $116,000 was cash and the rest mainly donated equipment. Team members later recalled that this collaboration gradually established a division of labor in which Grimm handled resources and business matters while Schimpf focused on technology; in the 2005 race the team hit an obstacle after traveling about nine miles and finished 20th.⁠[2][3]

Grimm worked as a consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton, advising the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency and the Navy. He then joined Palantir as an early employee, taking on operations and technical work, and traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan to provide technical support to U.S. forces there.⁠[1]

Before joining Anduril, Grimm was a Principal at Mithril Capital Management, investing in growth-stage companies. This experience connected his work in government and software businesses with his later entrepreneurial activities.⁠[1][4]

In 2017, Grimm co-founded Anduril with Palmer LuckeyPalmer LuckeyPalmer Luckey (born September 19, 1992) is an American inventor and entrepreneur. He founded Oculus VR and developed an Oculus Rift headset prototype in 2012; Facebook acquired the company in 2014. In 2017 he cofounded defense technology company Anduril Industries. He subsequently established retro-gaming hardware company ModRetro and helped found Erebor, a bank serving the technology industry.Open the full entry, Trae Stephens, Brian Schimpf, Joseph Chen, and others. The company conducts a defense technology business centered on software and autonomous systems. The working relationship Grimm and Schimpf built at Cornell University and Palantir also carried over to the company.⁠[3][5]

Grimm serves as co-founder and chief operating officer, responsible for global operations, including procurement, manufacturing, supply chain, facilities and security, people, and finance. Interviews with the founding team indicate that his work includes turning product concepts into teams, budgets, facilities, and testing arrangements.⁠[1][3]

On July 12, 2024, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, citing renewed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, announced countermeasures against six U.S. military companies and five senior executives. Grimm was included on the list as Anduril’s chief operating officer, and the annex listed his full name as Matthew Marley Grimm. The measures against him personally included freezing his property in China, prohibiting organizations and individuals in China from conducting related transactions and cooperation with him, and refusing to issue him visas or allow him entry, including into Hong Kong and Macau; the decision took effect that day.⁠[6]

On November 11, 2024, 20VC released an interview with Grimm. The episode covered building defense companies, government procurement, venture capital, and military applications of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, and also discussed the possible effects of policy changes under the Trump administration.⁠[4]

In March 2026, Anduril began producing the Fury aircraft at its Arsenal-1 factory in Ohio. In a presentation to the media, Grimm stressed that manufacturability and cost should be considered at the design stage, rather than dealing with manufacturing issues only after a product is finished.⁠[7]

He said the factory uses an easily adjustable layout that minimizes fixed installations in order to accommodate changes in products and processes. The company planned at the time to subsequently bring in production of products such as Roadrunner and Barracuda; these were production plans at that time and do not mean that all production lines are already in operation.⁠[7]

Anduril Industries: The defense technology company that Grimm co-founded and where he serves as chief operating officer. Official website: https://www.anduril.com/ (opens in a new window).⁠[1][5]

His public X account is https://x.com/mttgrmm (opens in a new window); the account bio lists his experience at Anduril, Mithril, and Palantir.⁠[8]