The HotSpot compiler learns about your code as your process runs. Is there any way to configure it to persist what it's learned, so that the next time the process starts (assuming no jars or class files have changed), it doesn't need to start from scratch?
No.
There are other JVMs which can do this, though. Oracle JRockit, for example, allows you to save profiling information and compiled code. Excelsior JET also does this.