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April 19th, 2024 | 10:47 AM ET

Seeking the Right Tech to Ensure National Security

Posted: March 21st, 2019

By Michael Brown

Director, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)

The Department of Defense launched an experiment in 2015 aimed at making it easier for the government to benefit from commercial technology.  It was called the ‘Defense Innovation Unit Experimental’ (DIUX) and three and half years later, it’s no longer an experiment.

Now known only as DIU, (minus the X) the west coast-based unit’s mission is to ‘accelerate commercial technology for national security’ by providing non-dilutive capital to companies that DIU believes may have the technology that can help solve big national security problems.  Think AI, IT and Space, for starters.  The companies they invest in are backed by well-known investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Founders Fund, In-Q-Tel and Sequoia Capital.

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