Joshua Baer, CEO of Capital Factory, dies in executive jet crash in Texas

Joshua Baer, founder and CEO of Capital Factory, poses for a photo at the Force Con event, on May 29, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Billy Calzada/The San Antonio Express-News via AP
Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, a startup accelerator, died after an accident with an executive jet in Texas, in the United States.
According to the Associated Press news agency, the aircraft crashed into a highway after the pilots reported mechanical problems and requested authorization for an emergency landing at a nearby airport.
Also according to the AP, the accident happened on Tuesday night (16) in Laredo, a city close to the border with Mexico. Baer's death was confirmed on Wednesday (17).
People try to remove passengers from a plane after it crashed on a highway on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Laredo, Texas.
Zayra Garza via AP
There is still no information about the health status of the pilots who were on board the aircraft.
"While the loss of life is deeply regrettable, it is nothing short of a miracle that this tragedy did not become a mass fatal event," Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño said during a news conference.
Baer's LinkedIn profile noted that he was married with three children.
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Who was Joshua Baer
Joshua Baer was an entrepreneur known in Texas for his role in developing Austin's technology ecosystem.
He used to define himself as an "Austinpreneur", a combination of the city's name and the word "entrepreneur", in reference to his interest in connecting people and businesses.
Baer founded Capital Factory, which became one of Austin's leading venture capital firms, investing in startups of technology in different areas, from robots to autonomous ships.
On his LinkedIn profile, he appeared wearing a t-shirt with the phrase "I help people quit jobs". Capital Factory's headquarters are in downtown Austin, close to the offices of major technology companies such as Google.
Joshua Baer
Reproduction/University of Texas
"Whether you're in technology or not, there's a hole in the heart of Austin today," said Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, an organization that promotes the local technology industry.
Baer used to sum up his life philosophy in the phrase: "Plant lots of seeds. Water them for everyone. Repeat." In recognition of his work, he received a key to the city of Austin in 2023, a symbol of civic honor.
Bryan Chambers, co-founder and president of Capital Factory, described his partner as a "true superconnector."
After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where he created an email marketing business, Baer moved to Austin in 1996 to work as a software developer at Trilogy Inc. He founded Capital Factory in 2009 and used to hold meetings and business conversations at a coffee shop.
"My hobby is startups," Baer told the Austin American-Statesman in 2012. "I don't watch sports or anything like that. So that's what I do. I want to be an investor in every big tech company that comes out of Austin. It's probably unrealistic, but I'm going to try anyway."
Baer also used to talk to high school students and held the position of "entrepreneur in residence" at the University of Texas. Texas.
"He was passionate about the potential of technology to change the world and make people's lives more efficient and better," Singer said. "And he believed that entrepreneurs could both make money and help their communities."
Texan Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn mourned Baer's death. In a publication on see price and benefits

Source: G1