Joonghyun Lee

Peep this legend Joonghyun Lee – dude’s a total savage. He’s a YC S24 guy, and he’s out here crushing it with his startup Usul. But what’s wild is his background – it’s not your typical tech founder story. This guy’s got a ton of flying hours as a commercial pilot, plus he’s been deep in autonomous aircraft research for three years. Yeah, flying planes and messing with AI for flying things – that’s not your average founder hustle.

He met his co-founders at Stanford in this class called ‘Hacking 4 Defense.’ Basically, they were getting their hands dirty talking to over 200 folks from the Department of Defense and other defense sectors, trying to find out what’s really broken in that world. That’s where the lightbulb went off. They saw how hard it is for defense companies to land big contracts, and they thought, “Yo, let’s build something to fix that.”

So, Joonghyun and his team built Usul – an AI platform that helps defense contractors find the right government contracts they’re most likely to win. Think of it like a matchmaking app, but for defense deals. It’s backed by top defense investors, and it’s serving the fastest-growing defense startups out there. Basically, they’re making it way easier for companies to crack into the defense world, which is super locked down and complicated.

What’s dope about Joonghyun is how his past all connects. His flying and autonomous research gave him a killer understanding of complex systems and regulations – stuff most people don’t get. Plus, his experience dealing with government agencies means he knows how to guide the bullshit red tape that often kills good ideas in defense. So, he’s not just some tech nerd; he’s got real-world, hands-on experience with flying, autonomous tech, and the government side of things. That’s a deadly combo.

Bottom line – Joonghyun is the real deal. He’s someone who saw a huge problem in a tough industry, jumped into the deep end with both flying and tech, and then built something that actually matters. He’s a perfect example of how real-world experience mixed with hustle and tech smarts can create something significant. No cap, he’s one to watch – dude’s got the vision, the grit, and the creds to shake up defense contracting big time.