The Future of NatSec100 convened founders, investors, defense prime executives, and Department of War leaders to spotlight emerging defense and dual-use companies shaping the national security industrial base.

Thank you to Franklin Templeton, RTX Ventures, and the participating companies for helping bring this conversation to life. Look out for the NatSec100 release on May 26, 2026 at natsec100.org.

SVDG hosted Boots on the Ground in Austin, convening an exceptional group of founders, investors, operators, and policymakers from across the national security innovation ecosystem. Set against a beautiful Austin evening, the invite-only gathering brought together an incredible crowd for relaxed conversations and meaningful connections.

SVDG and the Ronald Reagan Institute hosted an off-the-record, invitation-only roundtable to inform the 2026 NSIB Report Card. Industry leaders provided candid input on progress, remaining barriers, and priority reforms.

SVDG and Friends of the House Defense Modernization Caucus convened a closed-door reception with Reps. Rob Wittman and Pat Ryan to discuss moving defense innovation from promise to practice. The conversation focused on sustaining recent modernization momentum and translating reform into real capability at scale.

This session provided an overview of how the U.S. Army is engaging venture-backed innovation through Army FUZE. The presentation was followed by a candid, off-the-record discussion with key defense investors on what is working, where friction remains, and how capital and government can better align to accelerate capability to the warfighter.

This off-the-record dinner convened senior military leaders, policymakers, investors, and executives to examine the practical realities of readiness in the Indo-Pacific — industrial capacity, production timelines, capital mobilization, and the role of the private sector in translating strategy into operational capability.

This year’s Chairman’s dinner was bigger and more impactful than ever, featuring a conversation with HON Michael Dodd and HON Michael Cadenazzi, and with participation from several Members of Congress, DoW officials, Allied representatives, and leaders in industry and private capital.

SVDG hosted a delegation of officials from the EU, European Investment Fund, European Investment Bank, and European Innovation Council for a dinner centered around a transatlantic exchange with select US investors and founders

The Silicon Valley Defense Group and DLA Piper hosted a morning of conversation and connection exploring how new models of partnership and capital formation can unlock the next era of space innovation and defense capability.

Leaders of the tech and defense worlds came together at Stanford University at the SVDG co-sponsored Stanford DEFCON. Following the conference, SVDG hosted a policy salon dinner bringing conversations to light on the role of innovation in national security.

SVDG organized a policy salon dinner with industry council member Picogrid and Initialized Capital. This dinner brought together policymakers, investors, industry leaders, and defense innovators for a candid conversation on how to prepare for — and scale — the connected battlefield.

Timed to coincide with the opening day of AUSA, this cocktail reception at the Spy Museum brought together the driving forces of national security innovation. With a focus on bridging capital providers and capital demand, the evening spotlighted venture-backed technologies tackling some of the most pressing operational challenges facing the U.S. national security community.

In this special edition of Arlington Economic Development’s Missions + Markets | National Landing series, SVDG shared insights from the newly released 2025 NatSec100 report with live demos from some of the most innovative national security startups operating in Arlington, VA.

At an event marked by frank and light hearted conversation about innovation in defense and dual-use, SVDG got to talk to the veterans leading the push for greater cohesion between innovators and end-users.

Watch to learn more about a successful partnership between SAIC and Dataiku to develop and deliver Tanjin. Learn from panelists about the benefits of intra-industry partnerships in defense and dual-use.

SVDG joined Alumni Ventures to organize a panel of investors who care about democratizing defense and dual-use tech investment as a way to boost innovation-adoption. Visit this page to watch the recording.

SVDG will host a salon dinner on April 29, 2025, to discuss the impact of tariffs on defense innovation and how industry and capital can adapt going forward

Watch as Pillsbury’s Marques Peterson and Steve Ryan discuss the legal and financial strategies behind M&A transactions and offer insights on navigating regulatory frameworks and compliance challenges.

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.