Scott Schaefer
Principal/Head of Research

Scott Schaefer is Principal and Head of Research at Andromeda Ventures, where he leads research and strategic analysis across the firm’s investment focus areas. He brings deep expertise in public-private capital formation, fund strategy, credit risk, and innovation ecosystem development, with a career spanning investment execution, policy implementation, and institutional modernization.

Over the course of more than 16 years in federal service, Schaefer has held leadership roles within the U.S. Small Business Administration, including positions in the Secondary Markets Group, Office of Credit Risk Management, and Office of Investment and Innovation. As a Presidential Management Fellow turned Senior Investment Officer, he has helped deploy billions of dollars across more than 100 private equity, venture capital, venture-debt, and private credit funds, while contributing to the growth of assets under management from $13 billion to nearly $60 billion. He also helped accelerate fund review timelines from three months to two weeks, reflecting a disciplined approach to process modernization, execution, and scalable impact.

In addition to his investment leadership, Schaefer has worked at the intersection of government programs and private-sector innovation. During his time in SBA’s Ecosystem Development group, he helped strengthen alignment between the SBIR/STTR and SBIC programs, advancing cross-agency collaboration and supporting pathways for capital access and commercialization. He has also partnered with multiple federal agencies on strategic initiatives and delivered more than 50 conference talks on fund strategy and public-private partnerships.

Schaefer holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Colgate University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Strategy, Finance, and Accounting from the University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business. His work is grounded in the belief that public-sector investment programs should reflect the same innovation, precision, and accountability expected of the private sector.