National Security Innovation Investment: Get Capabilities to Market Faster

Join NSIC, NSIN and AWS for answers on two key questions: how hardware startups uniquely benefit from government funding and how non-dilutive capital can actually surpass the value of private investment in the national security space.

What you’ll find out

• How NSIC, NSIN and DIU fit together (02:52)
• NSIC’s exclusive focus (04:50)
• NSIN’s model for innovation (10:00)
• Big picture reach and results (11:40)
• Examples of activities funded to date (15:30)
• The best ways to engage with NSIC (19:50)
• Compliance frameworks in cyber for startups to consider (25:10)

Key quotes

• “We’re focused on hardware technologies, dual-use applications, and on the problems companies face in getting timely capital. This has been a big problem.” — Tex Schenkkan, NSIC Director (05:49)
• “We try to step in for selected hardware startups, provide them with funding in the form of prototype development contracts, under Other Transaction Authority, and get their product development done as quickly as possible. And it’s non diluted so you don’t give up any equity when you take funds from NSIN.” — Tex Schenkkan, NSIC Director (07:17)
• “If we, the Department of Defense, want to maintain resilience, leverage emerging technologies, and solve problems differently, we need to involve new problem solvers.” — Abigail Desjardins, NSIN, Acceleration Portfolio Director (09:20)
• “We have a variety of solutions that emerged over the last year. Some of them came out of technology from defense labs, some of them came from hacking for defense teams that then matured into ventures.” — Abigail Desjardins, NSIN, Acceleration Portfolio Director (12:40)
• “Engaging with NSIC is really pretty simple. You go to the website I mentioned, nsic.mil. The information you need to determine whether what you’re working on is potentially of interest to us is right there with the technologies of interest.” — Tex Schenkkan, NSIC Director (21:20)

Who you’ll hear from

Tex Schenkkan, NSIC, Director

Abigail Desjardins, NSIN, Acceleration Portfolio Director

Rich Julien, Amazon Web Services, Public Sector VC and Startups Lead for National Security and Space

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Pre-register for Fed Supernova 2022 today.

About Fed Supernova
Fed Supernova is a two-day annual conference highlighting defense innovation in Texas. This first-of-its-kind interactive experience draws national attention and connects leading entrepreneurs, investors, thought leaders, corporations, and decision makers from around the world.

About Capital Factory
Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Texas, the number one startup state in the U.S. Hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs, programmers and designers gather day and night, in-person and online for meetups, classes and coworking. With boots on the ground in Austin, Dallas and Houston, we meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to their first investors, employees, mentors and customers. According to Pitchbook, Capital Factory has been the most active investor in Texas since 2013.