Defense Tech Conference 2026
Defense Tech Conference
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 - Wednesday, November 4, 2026 | Marines' Memorial Club & Hotel | San Francisco
Defense Tech Conference is a curated gathering of founders, investors, military and government leaders, and industry operators building the next generation of defense and dual-use technology.
Whether you're raising capital, building for the Department of Defense, investing in national security, or looking to grow your network, the conference is designed to create meaningful conversations and lasting relationships.
Why Attend?
✅ Hear directly from leading defense founders and investors
✅ Connect with military leaders, government partners, and venture capital firms
✅ Learn how startups are navigating fundraising, government contracting, and dual-use commercialization
✅ Receive practical feedback from experienced investors during our live pitch session
DAY 1 | Tuesday, November 3, 2026
8:30–9:00 AM | Check-In & Registration
9:00–9:25 AM | Opening Remarks & Sponsor Acknowledgments
9:30–10:30 AM | Built, Tested, Deployed: Getting Defense Technology to the Warfighter
Peter Dixon | Arkenstone Defense
Matt Cox | Beacon AI
Adam Warmoth | Chariot Defense
10:30–11:00 AM | Networking
11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Drones, Autonomy & the Changing Battlefield
Clay Kroschel | XMX Defense
Rob Winston | HopFlyt
John Keh | Valtec
12:00–1:00 PM | Lunch
1:00–2:00 PM | Surviving the Startup Swamp by Avoiding Startup Landmines
Dan Austin | Ashurst Perkins
2:00–2:30 PM | Networking
2:30–3:30 PM | Securing Government Contracts
LTC Sam Spencer-Pittman | U.S. Army
Matt Hays | Air Force CyberWorx
Col. Arlon Smith | U.S. Marine Corps
3:30–5:00 PM | Founder + Investor 1:1 Meetings
5:00 PM | Closing Remarks & Networking
Curated 15-minute meetings connecting defense tech and dual-use founders with investors. Participation requires advance registration and confirmation.
DAY 2 | Wednesday, November 4, 2026
8:30–9:00 AM | Check-In & Registration
9:00–9:30AM | Opening Remarks & Sponsor Acknowledgments
9:30–10:30 AM | From Zero to One and Beyond
Ian Kalin | TurbineOne
Grant Demaree | OneBrief
Cameron McCord | Nominal
10:30–11:00 AM | Networking
11:00 AM-12:00 PM | The Defense Tech Investor Perspective: What Gets Funded
Alex Harstrick | J2 Ventures
Lenore Karafa | UA1
Maggie Gray | Shield Capital
12:00 PM–1:00 PM | Lunch
12:00 PM–1:00 PM | Founder + Investor 1:1 Meetings
Curated 15-minute meetings connecting defense tech and dual-use founders with investors. Participation requires advance registration and confirmation.
1:00–2:30 PM | Frontline Founders: Live Pitches & Investor Feedback
Selected defense tech and dual-use founders will pitch their companies live and receive feedback from investors and industry leaders.
2:30–3:00 PM | Networking
3:00–4:00 PM | Defense Tech in 2030: What Happens Next?
John Price | HighGround
Andrew Dimitruk | Ironflow AI
Owen West | Project Agincourt
4:00 PM | Closing Remarks & Networking
Meet Our Speakers
Founders: Building a Defense Tech Company?
We're offering two opportunities for defense tech and dual-use founders to participate in this year's conference:
Frontline Founders: Live Pitches & Expert Feedback
A select group of founders will be invited to pitch their companies live and receive direct feedback from investors, operators, and defense innovation leaders.
Founder + Investor 1:1 Meetings
We're also coordinating dedicated 15-minute meetings between founders and investors across both days of the conference. Meetings will be arranged based on mutual interest and availability.
If you're interested in either opportunity (or both!), please complete the application below and indicate which you'd like to participate in. Selected founders will be contacted directly with additional details.
Please note: A Defense Tech Conference ticket is required to participate in the live pitch sessions. Selection to pitch does not include complimentary admission.
➡️ Apply to Pitch and/r Join 1:1 Meetings Here!
Investors: Interested in Connecting with Defense Tech Founders?
We're offering two opportunities for investors to engage with emerging defense tech and dual-use founders at this year's conference:
Frontline Founders: Live Pitches & Expert Feedback
Join us as a guest judge to hear selected founders pitch their companies live, provide feedback, and connect with promising startups building technologies for defense and national security.
Founder + Investor 1:1 Meetings
We're also coordinating dedicated 15-minute meetings between founders and investors across both days of the conference. Meetings will be arranged based on mutual interest and availability.
If you're interested in either opportunity (or both!), please complete the interest form below and indicate how you'd like to participate. Selected investors will be contacted directly with additional details.
➡️ Apply to Judge and/or Participate in 1:1 Meetings Here!
We hope you'll join us and more than 200 founders, investors, operators, military and government leaders from across the defense innovation ecosystem!