IQT (In-Q-Tel)’s Post

🌐 Envision a single moment that could completely transform your small tech business… You’re stepping up to pitch your technology to leadership at Northrop Grumman, a global leader in #space, #aeronautics, #defense, and #cyberspace technology. Excited? You should be. 🚀 Announcing the 2024 Northrop Grumman Technology Accelerator Program, powered by FedTech 🚀 We’re selecting six trailblazing startups and small businesses to join us on this mission, offering an unparalleled opportunity to supercharge your growth and make connections that matter. 🔍 What You Need to Know: Objective: To forge powerful synergies to explore avenues for future investment, joint ventures, strategic collaborations, funded pilots, or vendor relationships. Who Makes the Cut: After two selection rounds, six standout businesses will emerge to engage in a comprehensive 8-week program including: - Interactive educational modules crafted by FedTech - World-class mentorship - Exclusive access to Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems' subject matter experts - A unique chance to pitch live to Northrop Grumman leadership And the best part? There's no cost to participate. 🗓 Mark Your Calendars When: July to September 2024 Commitment: Up to 3 hours per week We’re looking for startups and small companies poised at the edge of innovation. Don’t miss this opportunity to propel your venture to new heights. Click Here to Learn More: https://lnkd.in/e2BJpq8a Click Here to Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/e4UMzCTn 🚨 Application Deadline: June 5, 2024 🚨 #Tech #TechAccelerator #Startups #SmallBusiness #Innovation #TechnologyAccelerator

Wrapping up this weekend’s panel sessions is The Defense Market’s Tough - But It’s Good for Business with Joshua Marcuse Alexis Lasselle Ross Christopher Kirchhoff and Daniel Gwak Lots of great insights from this expert panel; a few highlights: - One typical way founders go wrong is that their idea isn’t big enough; the most promising companies in the Defense market are directly addressing global power dynamics and making an outsized impact - Defense tech is hotter now than ever; there are a half dozen transformational technologies that will determine the major Defense companies for the future, with hundreds of startups vying for those few slots - Government interest in private capital is only increasing, so companies can gain an advantage by integrating private capital into their value proposition - We are living through the de-consolidation of the industrial base - Many transformational new initiatives coming from the Pentagon are launched before there’s a clear path to funding; startups can have confidence that funding will come, but should recognize it will take some time to bring the institution in line with the strategic vision - At the same time, if your approach isn’t working, try to attack the problem from other ways; relentlessly pursue avenues to make an impact - Startups generally shouldn’t pursue products with a 2-yr+ development cycle; focus on areas where the development cycle is more in line with commercial market timelines and investor expectations Info on all of the sessions from this track can be found at the link below and recordings will be posted here as well a few days after SXSW wraps up. #sxsw2024 ATI | Advanced Technology International #startup TechConnect https://lnkd.in/eNZh5H96

Silicon Valley's Growing Interest in Defense Industry Silicon Valley is increasingly turning its attention to the defense industry, according to TechCrunch. Venture capital firms, including Andreessen Horowitz, are hiring former Department of Defense officials. This strategy aims to gain insights into the actual challenges faced by the defense sector and leverage connections to help portfolio startups secure contracts that traditionally take years to finalize. Last year, defense-focused startups attracted $35 billion in investments, with $9 billion raised so far this year. This trend highlights the growing synergy between technology innovation and defense needs, paving the way for enhanced military capabilities through advanced tech solutions. #DefenseTech #VentureCapital #TechInvestments #SiliconValley #DefenseIndustry Read more: [TechCrunch](https://lnkd.in/gcG8WxYB)

There are just a couple more days to register for Business Innovation in Defense (BiD 102) - Navigating the DoD Market for Defense Tech Startups. Join us Thursday, 20 June at 11:30 PST for this multi-part seminar series as we explore the complex DoD marketplace and how to approach and navigate it as a company with cutting edge innovation. Sessions include: - Understanding Pre-requisites: Discover the essential requirements for doing business with the DoD, including necessary certifications and compliance. Presented by Kate Hoy from the Washington APEX Accelerator. - Go-to-Market Strategy: Learn proven strategies to effectively enter and thrive in the defense market. Presented by Brian 'BK' Kent, PhD, NACD.DC from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) of the NSIN - National Security Innovation Network. - Success Story: Hear from a startup that has successfully entered the DoD market, sharing their journeys, challenges, and triumphs. Presented by Michael Madrid from Starfish Space. Register today - https://lnkd.in/g3Rjp_rV We are looking forward to including our diverse network of innovators at this event. - Creative Destruction Lab, Creative Destruction Lab – Seattle, NATO DIANA, Venture Mechanics Startup Incubator / Accelerator, Business Oregon, Washington State Department of Commerce #nwdefense #pnwinnovation Denise Ryser Joseph Corigliano Sam Zvirzdys Chris Groves Jake Tozier Todd J. Woods Andrea Hegarty

TachlesVC December 23 Insights Greetings to Our Investors and Partners, As we near the end of the year, TachlesVC is actively preparing for the upcoming year. Here’s a brief on our current initiatives and recent progress: Fundraising and Deal-Flow: - Ongoing fundraising efforts are in place for a strong start in Q1/2024. - Recent engagements include collaborations with Quebex and Hirundo. - We are excited to announce Langware as our latest addition to the portfolio. - Final stages of investment in Cynergy, with closure anticipated by the end of 2023. Deal Room Insights: - Cynergy.app: A cybersecurity automation platform for small and medium-sized businesses, focusing on integrating security practices. - Hirundo: Developed by researchers from Technion University, this ML/AI solution aims to reduce AI model debugging time. - Qubex: An Israeli startup enhancing Kubernetes scaling, targeting a reduction in compute costs by up to 50% and improving system stability. Portfolio Updates: - Langware: Our latest addition, specializing in AI-driven approaches to reduce software development time. - Cyngular Security: Collaborating with Airiam in rapid incident response automation and proactive cybersecurity. - illustria.io: Providing a platform for comprehensive management of software supply chain issues, evidenced by a case study with Visible Alpha. Industry Insights: - Research by Pattern Ventures, analyzing approximately 2,500 funds since 1980, highlights the advantages of investing in funds sized $0-50M. Our fund's category shows an average return of 2.3x, outperforming larger funds, which average at 1.6x. - Additionally, funds within our size range have a 12 times higher likelihood of achieving a 5x return compared to funds sized between $500M-$1BN. As 2024 approaches, TachlesVC remains dedicated to identifying and nurturing high-potential startups, with a strategic focus on investments that promise growth and innovation. #TachlesVC #venturecapital #startupgrowth #investmentinsights

[Defense Startups - from WSJ] Venture capital investment in startups building defense technology exceeded $30 billion a year for the past three years, about five times what it was in 2016, according to PitchBook Data. About 100 new defense-tech startups have been founded in the U.S. in the past three years. Persuading the Pentagon to buy from Silicon Valley has proven difficult. Last year, the most highly valued, venture-backed defense startups spent a combined nearly $6 million on lobbyists, nearly double the lobbying spend in 2019, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending. The top D.C. liaison for Anduril Industries, a venture-backed company making autonomous weapons systems with hundreds of millions in defense contracts, previously worked on the Senate Armed Services Committee and for two secretaries of state. Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital, has organized meetings between startups and officials with Special Operations Command, some of which later led to small sales for the startups.  https://lnkd.in/gWFpjPPH #defensetech #venturecapital

US DoD has severely fallen behind in technology research & development. "Historically, the DoD was a global research and development (R&D) juggernaut, comprising 69 percent of worldwide R&D in 1960. By 2019, this figure had plummeted to a mere 3.1 percent." VC's are calling for increased and more stable funding of defense tech startups, as well as changes to procurement regulations distinguishing startups from small businesses. "The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Set-Aside (SBSA) contracts, seemingly a boon for startups, in reality, impose strict criteria and revenue limitations, excluding most high-growth startups." "Meanwhile, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program offers insufficient funding, especially in its early phases... From 2010-2019, the government awarded over $24 billion in SBIR grants through over 50,000 Phase I and II awards. There have only been a small handful of companies that have scaled off SBIRs, including Qualcomm, Anduril, and 23andMe." "Moreover, Phase III awards are rare and do not guarantee subsequent large-scale contracts, leading venture capitalists (VCs) to view SBIR involvement skeptically. The program’s criteria further disqualify startups with significant VC ownership, exacerbating the funding challenge."  https://lnkd.in/egbkAYK5 #defenseindustry #defenseinnovation #defensetech

Defense Tech: A Resilient Sector in 2024 Despite a slowdown in VC dealmaking in the past year, defense tech remains strong with $9.1 billion invested across 228 deals so far in 2024, according to PitchBook's latest Emerging Tech Research report. With 35 exits completed, defense tech is on track for an upswing compared to other sectors. Defense tech startups benefit from programs like the Defense Innovation Unit, offering opportunities to engage directly with national security. The report highlights opportunities for startup innovation to expand the US defense industrial base and provides an overview of industry dynamics, key players, and deal activity. #DefenseTech #Innovation #VentureCapital #EmergingTech #Startups #NationalSecurity

🌐 Applications for the 2024 Northrop Grumman Technology Accelerator are open! If you are a small business or startup with innovative technologies in… ▶ Low-Cost Aircraft Subsystems And Materials ▶ Low-Cost, High-Rate Manufacturing And Maintenance Technologies ▶ Power And Thermal Management ▶ Other Breakthrough Tech Relevant To Northrop Grumman’s Mission This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss. The Accelerator aims to foster collaboration and synergy between Northrop Grumman and its cohort companies to bring their technologies to tangible impact. Participants in the accelerator program will have the opportunity to… ▶ Receive guidance from experienced mentors within Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems ▶ Engage in hands-on sessions focused on technology integration ▶ Learn from FedTech’s experience coaching over 200 startups in their pursuit of the DoD as a customer ▶ Gain access to a wide range of resources, including venture capitalists, integration partners, and DoD connections 🚨 Applications Close June 5 🚨 🔗 Click Here to Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/e4UMzCTn 🔗Click Here to Learn More: https://lnkd.in/e2BJpq8a #TechAccelerator #StartupAccelerator #Entrepreneurship #Tech #DeepTech

Defense technology and its coterie of investors were once a cottage industry within the enterprise software-driven venture capital world. But in recent years, that's rapidly changing. Investors and startups are no longer wary of the uncertainties of building technology with governments as the main target customers. Concerns about bureaucratic red tape, longer investment return timelines, and moral opposition to the overlap between tech and war have somewhat dissipated. What has emerged is a techno-optimist patriotism among startup founders and investors alike, fueled by growing tensions and military technological gaps between the US and geopolitical archrivals Russia and China. The ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gaza have also spotlighted warfare and technologies from startups like Palantir and Anduril being used on the battlefield. We put together the top defense tech VCs to know, now that interest in the industry is starting to boom. Many thanks to the VCs on this list who shared their perspectives, including Daniel Gwak at Point72 Private Investments; Larsen Jensen at Harpoon Ventures; Pete Mathias at Alumni Ventures; Jake Chapman at Marque Ventures; and Josh Wolfe at Lux Capital. #venturecapital #defensetech https://lnkd.in/g8Hv2x8X