NATO Innovation Fund (NIF)’s Post

A geopolitical and geoeconomic theme began emerging a number of years ago that called on the industrial base of Western countries to be rebuilt. This has extended into the defence complex, with a call for an infusion of venture capital to help revive the sector in the face of rising tensions with China, Russia and others. Interesting story about the U.S. Defense Department and its new National Defense Industrial Strategy. Infusions of venture capital will be needed because many old-line defence contractors “have yet to adopt advanced manufacturing technologies as they struggle to develop business cases” for needed capital investment, the strategy finds. This “directly impacts DoD’s ability to reduce manufacturing lead times and life cycle costs and to increase readiness.” I have worked with clients who have won government military contracts and would be happy to speak to you about how even smaller enterprises can get their foot in the door to what can be a profitable partnership. #venturecapital #defence #military https://buff.ly/3RYUhua.

This week’s NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. on the Alliance’s 75th anniversary served as an important reminder of the role that transatlantic venture capital investments can play in boosting cooperation among the Alliance’s nations. Staying at the forefront of technological innovation is more important than ever in securing the future of the Alliance’s 1 billion citizens by boosting the nations’ readiness in these turbulent times. Not only is it necessary for our security, resilience and prosperity, it also makes good business sense. https://lnkd.in/eXXyNksP

U.S. tech startups drive innovation but face risks with foreign investments. Adversaries exploit these to steal sensitive data, threatening our economic and national security. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s (ODNI) National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) has issued a joint bulletin with ODNI’s Office of Economic Security and Emerging Technology (OESET), the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) have released a joint bulletin that provides information on this threat, as well as potential indicators, mitigation steps, and where to report incidents. Read the press release ➡️ https://bit.ly/46kkCKh Access the Joint Bulletin 👇 #jointbulletin #ODNI #NCIS #NCSC #nationalintelligence #nationalsecurity #techstartups #foreigninvestments

Interesting summary of a real trend. But are 'revolving doors' always a problem? In this case, do we prefer U.S. startups be uninformed by #nationalsecurity? And isn't more diverse #military & #defense #business competition generally good? One could argue we actually need more, not less, revolving doors. What do you think? #inclusivenationalsecurity

Take a deeper dive into the Marque Ventures x ManTech partnership with Eric S. Brown discussing the importance of emerging tech for national security. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecW3BUtB #vc #venturecapital #defenseinnovation #defensetech #defensetechnology #military #nationalsecurity

"Much of the focus of the trilateral pact between Australia, the U.S. and the U.K., known as AUKUS, has been on military-to-military cooperation, but a group of more than 400 investors is establishing a parallel effort to increase collaboration among the countries’ private sectors." #elaranova #spaceindustry #defenseindustry #AUKUS #nationalsecurity #nationaldefense #spacesecurity #spacetech #spacetechnology

In a Q&A with Authority Magazine, our CEO Neil Keegan discusses his journey from active duty in the #Navy to #VC, and the lessons learned along the way about friendship, motivation, and philosophy. Check it out. #defensetech #venturecapital #21stcenturyoffset

Here is a great article about some of the awesome things that VetsinTech is doing to make a huge positive impact on the military, veteran, and military-spouse communities! Ikram Mansori

Venture capitalists have poured more than $100 billion into U.S. defense-technology startups since 2021, banking on government interest in upgrading the military. Persuading the Pentagon to buy from Silicon Valley has proven difficult. Washington and Silicon Valley have for years tried to forge a more lucrative partnership, and the rise of China and conflicts in Ukraine and Israel showcasing modern technology have made military leaders more anxious to modernize their arsenals. #MavenScouts #Investment #Accelerator #Growth

Here is an interesting article from Federal News Network about the gap in communication between the DoD and start up companies. At the Knudsen Institute, we've been closely following developments in the Defense Industrial Base so that we can continue to bridge the gap between the DoD and small- and medium-manufacturers. Check out our upcoming Defense Industrial Base Conference (DIBCON) on May 7-9 in Oklahoma City where we will discuss more about this topic! www.dibcon.net #defense #defenseindustry #dod #dibcon