Weekly News Update: May 3, 2024

27 Apr - 3 May 2024

Good morning,

Congress has realized that the Air Force made a colossal mistake terminating the Defense Ventures Program (of which I’m an alumnus). It’s likely too late for them to turn the money and program back on. Instead, it will have to recreate a program that is similar. This only serves to further the gulf between DC and Silicon Valley.

The Pentagon is pushing hard on its efforts to rebuild the defense industrial base (DIB), but Congressman Wittman thinks it will take too long based on authorization and appropriation cycles. It’s worth noting that Wittman is one of the two founders of a congressional caucus focused on defense modernization, along with Building our Defense friend and subscriber, Rep Pat Ryan (D-NY). There’s a massive opportunity for a private company to jump start the work on rebuilding the DIB, leveraging modern technologies. Reach out directly to me if you are interested in supporting such a company.

While on the topic of rebuilding the industrial base, Desi…