Online Event

Founder Panel: Fundraising and GTM for Defense and Dual-Use

How Today’s Dual-Use Founders Are Winning: Lessons From Recent Series A Raises

Date
Jan 07, 2026
Time
03:00 pm - 04:00 pm
Address
Online Event
Event Banner Image
Join a panel of dual-use founders who have successfully closed Series A rounds in the current defense-tech environment. These teams have navigated technical proof points, early government traction, commercial expansion, and the realities of dual-use fundraising when timelines, buyers, and requirements all move at different speeds. They'll break down what actually worked, what didn't, and how they convinced investors that their technology, team, and market approach were ready for scale. This panel is for founders seeking a clear, practical look at what it takes to go from early pilots to institutional capital.
What You'll Learn:
  •  How successful dual-use founders structured their early traction 
  •  How to position dual-use technology for institutional investors 
  •  How they managed the transition from pre-seed/seed to a Series A-ready company
  •  Practical advice for founders raising in 2026

Additional Resources:
Find more Startup Events and learn more about FI's Female Founder Initiative, a growing community of women in tech with access to additional mentors and workshops.

About Founder Institute:
The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 8,100 entrepreneurs raise over 1.9BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.

Speakers

John

John Doyle

CEO @ Cape

Tyler

Tyler Saltsman

CEO @ EdgeRunner AI

Austin

Austin Gray

Co-Founder & CSO @ Blue Water Autonomy

John

John Goodson

CEO @ Darkhive

Platinum Partners

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The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 8,600 entrepreneurs raise over 1.9BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.


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