We were told that bringing new technology into the world was noble for its own sake, that Silicon Valley was “making the world a better place”. We believed it, and it made fools of us. On the one hand we were right to believe small teams can change the world––oh so right––but on the other we learned that direction matters, that what we build matters. It isn’t just speed that’s important. Vector is essential to bring forth the world we want for our children’s children, and bring it forth we must.

Our society, our world has been inundated with spheres of subjective reality, supposed answers often enticing (or scary) enough to look like truth. The louder these incursions the more real they seem, purpose-built for our endocrine systems to nod along. Combined with a decline in civics education, eroded faith in political and religious institutions, and an almost dogmatic embrace of depressive nihilism by Hollywood and it is no wonder the state we find ourselves in. Depression is on the rise, cynicism is applauded, and political differences seem irreconcilable while decency and decorum are viewed as naive.

The pillars of our democratic, capitalist system have been psychologically eroded to the point that many now question whether they had any merit in the first place. It’s on us to prove them wrong, but how?

We cannot win with words alone. We must make the future we want. The only way to prove the superiority of a free Republic and positive-sum economics (i.e. capitalism) is to out-build rival systems and out-provide to our populace and trading partners. From a societal perspective technology is the measure of time. Without it the past would be virtually indistinguishable from the present. Unlike time, however, progress is not unidirectional. Again, what we build matters.

Here we see three noble paths, all necessary to heed the call:

1. Abundance: Provide shelter, safety, food, water, energy, health, meaningful work, intelligence, financial security, and free up citizens’ time in an improved and/or less costly fashion.

2. Resilience: Improve and sustain critical systems and infrastructure such as the electrical grid, communications, and transportation––as well as our broader ecosystem and planet.

3. Advantage: Further competitiveness of the United States and its democratic allies in advanced technologies (civilian and military), manufactured goods, and critical resources.

The hard reality is that such challenges require exceptional individuals. Only the most capable, compelling, and relentless of us have the ability to will a good future into existence. They are commonly called founders. We think of them as legends in the making.

Our firm exists to provide the initial capital and ongoing counsel to these rare individuals. We are named for the stories that will be told of their heroism and that of those who built alongside them. A “canto” being the chapter of an epic poem, our name is also an acknowledgement that the future is built laboriously, one line at a time. Such journeys are not for the faint of heart. They may, in fact, not be for the entirely sane. Grit, mettle, intensity, relentlessness––these are some of the hallmarks of greatness. We believe individuals can change the world for the better. We sit in reverence of their bravery and ask only a role in enabling their feats.

We do not take that future for granted, however. If we don’t build it then a darker one awaits. If you feel the weight of the future on your shoulders and have the audacity to believe you can save the world, preserve democracy, and create abundance for humanity then come talk to us.

Hurry. Time is short.