National security has always been a lucrative opportunity for startups, but recently venture capital has been pouring into the sector at an astounding rate.

The Trump administration has vocally prioritized defense and security spending, but the trend started a few years before he took office, sparked by initiatives like the CHIPS Act and government-focused accelerators. The spike in venture capital investment is visible both at national scale, and locally in the DMV, where startups can gain an edge thanks to proximity to the Pentagon and Capitol Hill. READ MORE