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).

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

The NatSec100 is our newly developed, annual ranked list of the top venture-funded defense and dual-use startups. It was developed to offer a data-driven snapshot of the evolving techno-security ecosystem. The list is by no means a perfect indicator of the future success or failure of the companies it comprises; rather, it is intended to drive conversation around the emerging tech ecosystem in national security.

In the age of rapid technological advancement, the landscape of warfare is evolving at a breathtaking pace, opening doors to a future brimming with possibilities and challenges. As we embrace this new era, we witness the transformative power of trade, cyber-security, non-state actors, and social media algorithms, reshaping the very nature of conflict and national security.

This month the nation’s most prominent thought leaders from across the defense, congressional, technology innovation, and private capital communities convened once again at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California. Their charter was identical to that of years past: review and assess policies that strengthen America’s national defense in the context of the global threat environment. 

The Silicon Valley Defense Group recently launched the SVDG Academy, a stage agnostic pipeline for initial entry into the federal market for high growth commercial companies and their investors. SVDG has identified an opportunity to help top-tier emerging technology companies enter government markets earlier in their lifecycle. Cohort companies gain access to office space and networking assistance in various markets across the United States.

A new generation of technologies is transforming the nature of warfare, and the Department of Defense (DoD) must change decisively in the next five years to meet the rising challenge of artificial intelligence (AI). The National Security Commission on AI hopes that DoD will be “AI-ready” by 2025, meaning that “warfighters [are] enabled with baseline digital literacy and access to the digital infrastructure and software required for ubiquitous AI integration in training, exercises, and operations.”[1] But can DoD reach that goal in just five years? What relationships and capabilities will be needed, at home and abroad, to enable the United States to effectively lead on the new digitized frontier of national security? 

SVDG, along with 2 other alliances and 44 leading technology companies, recently wrote a letter to the White House and Office of Management and Budget encouraging the Biden Administration to reconsider the procurement process. Rather than developing technological and software solutions from scratch, which can be a costly process, SVDG and its cosignatories emphasized the benefits of selecting commercially available products. These alternatives are often more cost-effective and technologically advanced, thereby representing a better value for American taxpayers and government agencies.

The Silicon Valley Defense Group (SVDG) recently wrote a letter to Congressional Leadership expressing their strong support for the congressionally proposed Warfighter Innovation Fund (WIF). The WIF is a vital tool for ensuring our forces have the agility and resources necessary to access the advanced technologies our nations need to maintain our security in an era of great power competition. The WIF represents a critical, immediate step to current efforts in Congress and DoD to revitalize national security acquisition policy.

At the request of Congressman Banks, SVDG conducted a survey of members and compiled feedback. Of the report’s recommendations, SVDG views the following as the most valuable, and critical, to achieving the Task Force’s objectives.

SVDG looks forward to bringing an industry viewpoint as the Task Force continues to develop and implement policies and legislation designed to address the issues identified in the report.

In fall 2020, Silicon Valley Defense Group hosted a series of discussions to explore the challenges to developing a sustained, durable techno-security advantage in the face of a increasingly competitive environment. This report summarizes our findings.

A consortium of partners, led by SVDG and UC San Diego, are proposing to strengthen U.S. Joint Professional Military Education.

The nature of conflict has changed as the United States pivots towards a new period of continuous competition with geoeconomic adversaries.

The paper starts by offering an overview of venture funding trends in areas of DOD interest both generally, and then in the Artificial Intelligence category.