Former members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have launched a new startup called Special, backed by venture capital firms including Marc Andreessen’s a16z. Their goal is to use AI to transform critical American industries and claim that private sector inefficiency rivals government waste.

Their plan involves buying businesses in key sectors and applying an ‘operating system’ created by Special, with their first target being senior care through the vertical FigureHealth. They see markets like construction and manufacturing as ripe for similar disruption, drawing on lessons learned from their DOGE days.

While their pitch echoes past DOGE tropes about fraud in childcare centers and hospices, critics argue it’s a narrow perspective on America’s major challenges. Former DOGE members have since moved into various tech roles, continuing the perceived employment conveyor belt to private sector success.

Their track record includes forced staff leave at the US Institute of Peace and allegations of data breaches at the National Labor Relations Board, raising questions about their methods and ethics.