Investor Spotlight: Meet Michael Brannan

Volition Press: Can you share a bit about your journey and what led you to Volition?

Michael Brannan: After working across different parts of the investing ecosystem, including various endowments and a L/S equity hedge fund, I realized I wanted to be in a role where I could work directly with founders who are building category-defining businesses at an early stage. Volition’s philosophy of supporting entrepreneurs not just with capital but also with resources and doing so consistently through both the highs and the challenges, really resonated with me. It felt like the right approach and the right platform to align myself with as I continue building my career in investing.

VP: What excites you most about the road ahead at Volition?

MB: What excites me most about the road ahead at Volition is not just our growth in terms of fund size and team but how we are evolving our ability to support founders well beyond capital. The expansion of our value creation capabilities, led by our GrowthOps team, gives us the tools to be a true partner in the trenches, helping entrepreneurs with everything from go-to-market execution to scaling operations. That evolution allows us to add meaningful value both inside and outside the boardroom and it positions us to build even stronger, more enduring partnerships with the companies we back.

VP: Are there particular sectors or themes you’re especially focused on right now?

MB: I’m particularly bullish on AI adoption in historically laggard sectors like construction and manufacturing because the baseline of digitization is still relatively low, which means the marginal impact of AI can be disproportionately large. These industries are characterized by complex workflows, fragmented stakeholders, and thin margins, specifically conditions where AI-driven efficiencies in planning, resource allocation, and predictive analytics can meaningfully shift both productivity and profitability. Early movers that successfully embed AI into core workflows have the potential to scale far more efficiently than peers, driving strong operating leverage as fixed costs remain steady while throughput improves. Over time, that creates a flywheel where the data advantage compounds, customer switching costs increase, and the market consolidates around a small number of category leaders.

VP: Why do you think founders should want to partner with Volition?

MB: At Volition, our core focus is helping entrepreneurs achieve their ambitions without forcing them to bet everything in the process. We view every company we partner with as a “portfolio of one,” recognizing that for founders, this is often their life’s work and their single greatest investment. By aligning our interests directly with theirs, we create a true partnership where success doesn’t require risking it all. What makes Volition unique is our ability to combine deep domain expertise with hands-on operational support, allowing founders to scale with confidence while preserving the vision and culture that got them started. Our approach is to build enduring companies, not just near-term outcomes.

VP: Outside of work, how do you enjoy spending your time?

MB: Outside of work, I really value spending time with family and friends, and I try to stay active through sports like golf and basketball. In the fall, Saturdays are usually reserved for college football. As a Notre Dame fan, I’m always holding out hope that this is the year we see another national championship. It’s a good balance for me between staying active, spending time with the people I care about, and having a passion outside of work.