In the current era of great-power competition, venture-backed startups are providing increasingly important capabilities at scale and speed to support US national security. The Defense Tech Playbook is intended to help entrepreneurs strategically build a financial path for startups that expect to generate revenue primarily through the Department of Defense. Following this playbook should increase their chances of successfully fielding new capabilities for US warfighters.
Key Takeaways
- Venture-backed startup companies are an important component of the effort to enhance US national security in this age of great-power competition.
- Defense tech companies face additional challenges above and beyond traditional enterprise startup companies due to the complexity of the federal budgeting process and the relative separation of users and buyers within the Department of Defense.
- Creating a successful company requires strategic planning, using precedent-driven data related to venture financing and government revenue ramps.
