For decades, the Department of Defense has operated under a capability-based acquisition system—focusing on optimizing the production and procurement of traditional means of military power. But in today’s rapidly evolving technological, industrial, and operational landscape, adapting to a threat-based approach is critical to maintaining strategic advantage.

We held a talk with Sarah Mineiro to inform the government contracting strategy for early-stage founders in Techstars’ Space Cohort. She discussed what can be achieved with a small budget, and how to navigate government agencies and congress.

As part of the Lunch and Learn series, SVDG hosted a discussion with Forge Group, LLC ranging from foreign military sales and international security cooperation to INDOPACOM's investment focus areas to strategies and best practices for commercial industry identification of and participation in programs with allied foreign government partners.

SVDG welcomed a HASC CODEL and STAFFDEL with Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL), Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA), and 11 other members of Congress at the Playground Global Offices in California to talk to members of the ETR Ecosystem.

In this Lunch and Learn, Schuyler Moore (Chief Technology Officer, USCENTCOM) and Jock Padgett (Director, Advanced C2 Accelerator at CDAO) discussed their experiences building advanced software capabilities for warfighters, including lessons-learned and insights into the future of defense innovation.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s “Secure by Design” (SBD) philosophy encourages developers to prioritize the security of customers as a core business requirement, rather than merely treating it as a technical feature. In this SVDG webinar, expert panelists discussed the implications of CISA’s recent Secure by Design pledge.

We are incredibly excited to share the 2024 Edition of SVDG’s NATSEC100, sponsored by JPMorganChase. The purpose of this report is to offer a data-driven snapshot in time of our emergent techno-security ecosystem–one which we hope will drive meaningful, if pointed, discourse about the state of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and broader National Security Innovation Base (NSIB).

On Thursday, July 11th, SVDG hosted a webinar exploring the 2024 NATSEC100, sponsored by JPMorganChase. The discussion featured panelists from government, venture capital, and the emerging technology industry to discuss key findings from SVDG’s hallmark research report.

Last week, SVDG was thrilled to preview the 2024 Edition of the NATSEC100, sponsored by JPMorganChase, at their annual VetVC Summit in New York City. The summit afforded an amazing platform to discuss the need for public and private investment into emerging technologies that are critical to national security, with an inspiring groups of veteran founders and funders.

In this webinar, SVDG will discuss the APFIT program in concept and execution; the evolution of the awards process and industry participants; how the Department and Congress measure the success of the program; and what lessons learned we can leverage to scale the desired outcomes for the program over time.

SVDG recently held a webinar exploring a newly-released memo from the Department of the Navy’s Chief Technology Officer that outlines a mission-driven framework and announces that the Navy - led by PEO Digital - will adopt this industry best practice. Watch the webinar recording on either our website or LinkedIn page.

Jacqueline Tame - a longtime Partner and new Executive Board Member - has been appointed Acting Executive Director of SVDG. Jacqueline brings experience in both the private sector and government, including senior roles in the Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and on the Hill.

On Tuesday, January 23rd, SVDG held a webinar discussion exploring the national security implications of President Biden’s recent Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence.

Our Annual Report encapsulates the initiatives and strides we've made in the past twelve months. From the inaugural NatSec100 that spotlighted industry trailblazers, to policy salon dinners and webinars that sparked meaningful dialogue, each effort was taken with a commitment to ensuring the US and our allies achieve a durable techno-security advantage.

SVDG is excited to be a Founding Sponsor of Stanford University’s Inaugural Tech & NatSec Conference. This student-lead conference aims to align the best of Stanford University, the U.S. Government, and America’s innovation engine—Silicon Valley—to tackle the world’s emerging technological national security challenges.

Read more about Silicon Valley Defense Group (SVDG)’s letter, cosigned by over 60 leading technology companies and investors, encouraging congressional leaders to maintain support for the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

On October 25th, SVDG hosted a webinar focused on the DOD’s ability to scale autonomous systems through initiatives such as Replicator. The discussion, hosted live on LinkedIn, featured perspectives from Anduril and ShieldAI, along with insights from the Department of Defense.

Companies working on space-related technologies comprised over one-third of SVDG's inaugural NatSec100. In this report, we take a closer look at the commercial space industry and provide insights into a nascent yet growing landscape of dual-use space companies. Although this industry has flourished in recent years, more work remains to support these companies' advancement of critical national security space capabilities.

On September 21st , SVDG hosted a webinar focused on the venture-backed space industry’s role within our national security ecosystem. The discussion featured perspectives from the Department of Defense, venture-backed space companies, and additional insights from our recently published #NatSec100 report.

On Monday, August 14 at 3pm ET, SVDG hosted a webinar featuring Founders and CEOs from our inaugural #NatSec100 Report. They discussed the NatSec100 from a Founder & CEO perspective, and explored their perspectives on the benefits and challenges of working in the national security ecosystem as a venture-backed company.