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 involving an executive jet in Texas, in the United States. According to the Associated Press news agency, the aircraft crashed on 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 near 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 on 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 fatality event," said Laredo Mayor Victor Treviño during a press conference. Baer's LinkedIn profile stated that he was married and had three children. Now on g1 Who was Joshua Baer Joshua Baer was an entrepreneur known in Texas for his work in developing Austin's technology ecosystem. He used to define himself as an "Austinpreneur," a combination of the city's name with 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 technology startups 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 their jobs".
Capital Factory's headquarters is in downtown Austin, near the offices of large technology companies, such as Google. Joshua Baer Reproduction/University of Texas "Whether you are in the tech field or not, today there is a hole in the heart of Austin," said Thom Singer, CEO of the Austin Technology Council, an organization that promotes the local technology industry. Baer used to summarize his life philosophy in the phrase: "Plant many 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 business meetings and conversations in a coffee shop. "My hobby is startups," Baer told the Austin American-Statesman newspaper 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 great technology 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. "He was passionate about the potential of technology to change the world and make people's lives more efficient and better," said Singer. "And he believed that entrepreneurs could, at the same time, make money and help their communities." Texas senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn lamented Baer's death. In a post on X, Cornyn stated that he was an "innovative and creative leader in Austin's entrepreneurial culture". With information from the Associated Press news agency. Brazilian startup creates 'brain' with AI to make robots smarter Instagram Plus is released in Brazil; see price and benefits.
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