Watchtower W-TWR Y1Q4: The Roundtables

​Moore County sits next to Fort Bragg, one of the largest concentrations of talent pulling from the Military, industry, and academia in the country. Watchtower is working to turn that into America's National Interest Corridor, a place where defense technology gets built, tested, and fielded. This event brings together the people who make that happen: founders, investors, manufacturers, and military operators.

​The day opens with three 90-minute panels. These are small-group working conversations led by practitioners, not lectures.

​Supply Chain & Manufacturing. How to source critical parts without foreign dependencies, scale production from prototype to volume, and deliver when logistics are contested.

​Autonomy & UAS. What it takes to get a drone or autonomous system from an impressive demo into the hands of a unit that trusts it, and what operators actually need.

​Funding Your Startup. How to combine SBIR, OTA, and other government funding with venture capital, what defense investors look for, and how to survive the gap between a successful pilot and a real contract.

​The funding panels leads straight into the Moore County / Watchtower Defense Tech Pitch Feedback session. Early-stage founders will pitch to investors and military advisors and get candid, practical feedback in a supportive room.

​Who should attend: defense and dual-use founders, investors, manufacturers and suppliers, current and former service members, and anyone who wants to help build the defense tech community in the Sandhills.

​Space is limited. Register early.

​Presented by Watchtower (watchtowerus.org), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Southern Pines.