Capital Factory has appointed recently retired NASA astronaut Colonel E. Michael “Mike” Fincke as Senior Fellow and Senior Commercialization Advisor for its Deep Tech division, strengthening its work with companies developing critical technologies. The Austin-based venture capital firm also named entrepreneur and investor Keri Waters Managing Director of Deep Tech Commercialization. The appointments come as Capital Factory expands its partnerships with DARPA, federal research agencies, academic institutions, and deep tech founders.
Fincke Brings Decades of Aerospace Experience
Fincke joins Capital Factory after completing a 30-year career as a NASA astronaut and will serve as the founding member of the Capital Factory Deep Tech Advisory Board. In his new role, he will advise portfolio companies working in areas including space systems and advanced aerospace, drawing on decades of technical and operational experience. The advisory board is designed to connect founders with senior leaders capable of helping them commercialize technologies in strategically important sectors.
Fincke completed four spaceflights during his NASA career and accumulated 549 days in space, placing him among the agency’s most experienced astronauts. He also performed nine spacewalks totaling more than 48 hours and twice commanded the International Space Station, including Expedition 18 and Expedition 74. Before NASA, Fincke served as a U.S. Air Force flight test engineer, graduated from the USAF Test Pilot School, and logged more than 1,900 flight hours across over 30 aircraft.
New Role at MIT
Alongside his work with Capital Factory, Fincke has joined the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics as a full-time Professor of the Practice. He holds two bachelor’s degrees from MIT as well as a master’s degree from Stanford University, combining an academic engineering background with extensive operational aerospace experience. His move into advisory and academic roles follows his return from the International Space Station in January 2026 and the conclusion of his NASA career.
Waters Leads Commercialization Strategy
Capital Factory has also promoted Keri Waters to lead its expanding commercialization efforts across federal research programs and academic partnerships. Waters previously founded Buoy Labs and guided the company through its acquisition by Resideo, where she later managed a water-related business with approximately $320 million in operations. She now works with DARPA-funded teams through Capital Factory’s DARPA Commercial Accelerator, helping researchers turn technical breakthroughs into commercially viable companies.
Waters brings experience spanning product development, fundraising, customer acquisition, and company building, areas Capital Factory sees as critical to moving federally funded research into commercial markets. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from MIT and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Waters and Fincke have also collaborated with several deep tech companies during the past five years, creating an existing working relationship within Capital Factory’s commercialization effort.
Expanding Federal Research Partnerships
Capital Factory’s deeper focus on commercialization follows its selection by DARPA in August 2024 as one of five regional Commercial Accelerators and the only participant headquartered in Texas. Through the program, the firm connects scientists and engineers developing DARPA-funded technologies with experienced operators who can help validate customer demand, build companies, and pursue additional capital. The broader strategy targets sectors including defense, space, energy, advanced manufacturing, robotics, and life sciences.
The appointments of Fincke and Waters strengthen Capital Factory’s push to bridge the gap between advanced research and commercially scalable businesses. Fincke contributes extensive aerospace, engineering, and mission leadership experience, while Waters brings a track record of building companies and bringing emerging technologies to market. Capital Factory plans to add further members to its Deep Tech Advisory Board as it expands its role in commercializing technologies emerging from the U.S. federal research ecosystem.