INSIDER EXCLUSIVE: How DIU funnels commercial tech to end users
By
Nick Wakeman
Catch up on our May 25 Washington Technology Power Breakfast that was a deep dive into the Defense Innovation Unit, the military's tech acceleration arm.
The Defense Innovation Unit offers a unique opportunity both for established contractors and so-called "nontraditional" companies that want to bring their promising technologies into the government landscape
Our May 25 Washington Technology Power Breakfast featured leaders from DIU and their investment and industry partners to talk about both opportunities and the lay of the land when working with the Pentagon's tech acceleration agency.
The below videos are available exclusively to WT Insiders. Whether you attended the event or not, these videos offer some great insights into the role DIU plays in the market.
Inside the Defense Innovation Unit
DIU's deputy director Mike Madsen and Gregory Coleman, principal for the agency's National Security Innovation Capital group, explained how DIU manages its money and what its top investment and contracting priorities are.
How cutting-edge technologies go from prototype to product
DIU doesn't pick winners and losers. There is an entire ecosystem involving DIU, venture capitalists and the operators that are the ultimate users of the technologies.
This panel below talks about how journey technologies including those with artificial intelligence can move from concept to pilot to production.
The group includes Jaime Fitzgibbon, AI program manager at DIU; Brian Drake, federal chief technology officer at Accrete.AI; and Kiley Naas, chief of operations at SineWave Ventures.
How DOD partners apply commercial technologies
End user needs are wide-ranging, so the speakers for this panel share how they’ve worked with DIU to add critical technologies to their mission.
They shared lessons learned, successes and failures experienced along the way. From three different perspectives, they offer tips and insights on how to bring new technologies to the customer.
The group includes Army Lt. Col. Amanda Love, joint program manager for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense; Luis Velazquez, chief technology officer for Marine Corps Systems Command; and William McHenry, senior adviser to the DIU director.