THE DEFENSE
INDUSTRIAL
POWERHOUSE
A 155-page field guide for taking a defense tech company from a post-Series B capability gap to an enduring, program-of-record-holding industrial supplier — built on named case studies, not composite examples.
Helping Defense and Dual-Use Companies Navigate the Path to Government Adoption
Success in the defense market requires more than innovative technology. Companies must navigate complex funding pathways, capture strategies, acquisition processes, government relationships, compliance requirements, and the transition from prototype to scalable production.
GMA's Defense & Technology Practice helps companies identify, shape, fund, and execute the institutional pathway from emerging technology to enduring government adoption.
Discover a practical roadmap for building a defense capture strategy, navigating funding and acquisition pathways, strengthening government relationships, and preparing your company for long-term growth.
Named Case Studies, Not Composites
Every lesson in the playbook is tied to a specific, sourced example — what the company actually did, and what a founder can replicate.
Anduril
How building fully functional systems on private capital — before a formal requirement exists — compresses the government evaluation cycle.
Shield AI
Why decoupling the Hivemind autonomy stack from its own hardware turned every prime's airframe into a potential adoption path.
Palantir
What the DCGS-A2 protest actually proves about commercial-item preference — and why it's a last resort, not a go-to-market strategy.
Overland
How building manufacturing capacity ahead of a $20M production OTA award turned a prototype win into a scaled program.
Darkhive
Why a $49.7M APFIT award became a fundraising asset — and what it signaled to a returning prime-affiliated investor.
The full market map
Founder and company profiles across Space, Aviation, Robotics, and Defense Hardware — benchmarked against the same capture curve.
Ten Stages, One Framework
From identifying a defense capability gap to becoming an enduring, diversified defense industrial powerhouse — every stage in the playbook maps to this sequence.
Building a Defense Industrial Powerhouse
Idea & Validation
Identify a defense capability gap or urgent operational need. Validate against real program requirements and confirm mission fit with end users before building.
Build the Core Team
Assemble a team with complementary DoD acquisition, technical, and BD expertise. Prioritize clearances, past performance, and credibility with program offices.
Engage Technical Labs
Connect with AFRL, NRL, DARPA, and NSWC to validate technology readiness. These L2 evaluators shape requirements and can champion your capability upward.
Win SBIR/STTR Funding
Use Phase I/II SBIR or STTR awards as low-risk seed funding and a foot in the door. Early wins build past performance for larger pursuits.
Target PEOs & PMs
Build named relationships with Program Executive Offices and PMs — your L3-L4 advocates. Route every technical touchpoint to a specific PEO/PM.
Rapid Prototyping via OTA
Leverage Other Transaction Authority to move fast, bypass FAR friction, and retain flexible IP. Use OTAs to demonstrate capability and set up production.
Scale via Contract Vehicles
Pursue MTA rapid fielding and IDIQ/GWAC vehicles for long-term purchasing once institutional adoption begins. Build ceiling capacity for sustained revenue.
Secure Phase III Sole-Source
Leverage 15 U.S.C. § 638 sole-source rights from completed SBIR work. Pursue non-competitive Phase III funded from RDT&E, procurement, or O&M.
Institutional Adoption
Convert pilots and prototypes into an established program of record. Strengthen governance, financial reporting, and compliance for sustained investment.
Enduring Defense Powerhouse
Diversify across domains and services, sustain multi-year contract ceilings, and maintain innovation velocity beyond any single program or administration.
Why it's the first of its kind
Built on evidence, not assertion. A quantitative PM Risk Matrix and a Five Levels of Advocates model replace generic BD advice with what a Program Manager is actually scoring.
Covers ground usually kept separate. Pentagon capture, Capitol Hill strategy, and post-2026-NDAA compliance thresholds (CMMC 2.0, CAS, certified cost/pricing data) in one connected framework.
Grounded in named, sourced case studies. Anduril, Shield AI, Palantir, Overland, and Darkhive — what each company actually did, and the lesson a founder can act on.
A living market map. 30+ founder and company profiles across Space, Aviation, Robotics, and Defense Hardware, benchmarked against the same maturity curve.
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