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.

In this webinar, we continue the conversation started by our inaugural #NatSec100 report last week, in which we ranked the top 100 venture-backed companies working in National Security. We discuss the development of the NatSec100 and why we created the list, our methodology in ranking companies, In-Q-Tel's prominence as an investor in the space, and answer live questions from the audience.

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. In this conversation, we discuss Emerging Technology Readiness.

Silicon Valley Defense Group (SVDG) would like to congratulate Harvard Business School’s Aerospace & Aviation Club and MIT Sloan’s Defense Technology Club for hosting their second annual Technology and National Security Conference, of which Silicon Valley Defense Group is the Founding Sponsor.

What is it like working at the cross section of emerging technology and national security? Hosted by SVDG Executive Board Member and Managing Director and National Security Technology Practice Lead at Beacon Global Strategies, Lauren Bedula, this podcast explores the stories of individuals working at this critical juncture. Lauren is joined by SVDG Partner and Investment Officer at Flux Marine, Whitney Tallarico, and Second Front Systems COO Chrissy McGarry.

Silicon Valley Defense Group is proud to partner with the Naval War College Foundation to host, “U.S. and China Relations: Tension in the Indo-Pacific Region” on May 16th, 2023. 25th United States National Security Advisor, LTG (Ret.) H.R. McMaster will join in person to provide the keynote address.

Rapid advancements in technology, coupled with the evolving nature of threats, require the DOD to constantly explore and integrate new and innovative commercial solutions to stay ahead. Flexible funding is one way in which the Department of Defense (DOD) can create an emerging tech readiness ecosystem to foster innovation. In this conversation, SVDG Executive Director Sam Gray and SVDG West Coast Director Sarah Hess discuss flexible funding with Mac Thornberry, former Chairman of the United States House Armed Services Committee.

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.

SVDG Executive Director Sam Gray, along with SVDG Co-Founders James Cross and Chris O’Donnell, discuss Foreign Direct Investment with Jeff Field, Special Agent in Charge, San Francisco FBI Field Office, in the wake of Silicon Valley Bank’s failure. This conversation was recorded live at SXSW23 prior to the joint statement issued by the Treasury Department, Federal Reserve, and FDIC outlining the protection of depositors at SVB.

Success in venture capital is often measured by a portfolio company achieving ‘Unicorn’ status (the company being valued at over $1B). As VCs invest more heavily in defense tech and the U.S. government cultivates increased commercial technology into its ecosystem, this conversation will explore whether this indicator will lead to the transformation the defense sector is in dire need of. With participant experience across Congress, VC-backed defense tech companies, venture capital firms, and the military, this will be a can’t-miss conversation.