Roundtable Capital Solutions to Scale Defense Startups

Join a roundtable addressing the growing disconnect between venture investment in defense startups and the realities of DoD demand, procurement, and budget constraints.

This focused discussion will convene key stakeholders from across the capital markets ecosystem—venture capital, private equity, corporate leaders, and defense entrepreneurs—to share their unique perspectives on overcoming these critical challenges.

Discussion Format:
An intimate, solutions-oriented discussion with 20-25 selected leaders from across the defense capital ecosystem, concluding with a networking social hour with light refreshments.

Key Topics

1. DoD Market Capacity & Capital Allocation

• Realistic budget availability and flexibility for new entrants and technologies
• Alignment challenges between venture return expectations and program of record timelines

2. Strategic Inflection & Market Consolidation

• Assessing the potential for a “Second Last Supper” scenario
• Identifying structural dynamics that could drive consolidation among VC-backed defense tech companies and/or a significant exodus of private capital from defense tech
• Strategic preparation opportunities for capital allocators and founders in this evolving landscape

3. Beyond Funding: Scaling Through Strategic Partnerships

• Learning from post-Cold War defense industry consolidation: opportunities for improvement
• Why capital alone is insufficient: navigating the critical prototype-to-production journey
• Leveraging M&A, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships to accelerate deployment

We look forward to your participation and insights in this important conversation.