Your First Customer Might Be the Government

​Most founders think government contracts are only for defense primes. They're wrong.

​The dual-use technology opportunity is broader than most people realize. Take M&M's: the U.S. government was its first customer, buying the candy-shell chocolate for military rations before it ever became the commercial icon we know today.

​At J2 Ventures, we invest in that same dual-use logic. We're a Boston-based investor backing early-stage companies whose technology serves both commercial and national-security markets — bringing deep government and defense relationships that help our portfolio companies win federal customers and secure non-dilutive funding.

​RISE is a great example of this thinking in action. Their SuperJammer robotic arm set the Guinness World Record as the world's strongest robotic arm, lifting over 7,000 pounds — and the Government is already among its first customers. Their Beltdraulic platform, an electric actuation system delivering hydraulic-level power and durability without hydraulic fluid, is positioned to replace hydraulics across construction, industrial, logistics, and defense equipment, enabling a new generation of cleaner, smarter, autonomous heavy machinery.

​That's why I'm excited to join Hilten Sonpal, RISE's CEO and Kyle Dell’Aquila, Co-Founder for a roundtable on this exact topic. Together, we bring real authority on what it takes to build at the intersection of technology, manufacturing, and defense.

​This is also a room worth being in. Manufacturing, robotics, and AI company CEOs and Founders joining us will have real customer development opportunities — shared government relationships, cross-portfolio introductions, and a faster path from prototype to procurement.

​What you're building can be dual use. Don't miss the opportunity with the government. Seats limited — please RSVP today.