When it comes to frontier technology, the interests of government and Silicon Valley are increasingly aligned. We’ve been watching a trend emerge where dual-use startups cut their teeth by solving defense, infrastructure, or intelligence problems for the government and then scale up by taking those products to the public.
“The advantage the government has is its problems. You know, you sell a big data problem in government, you probably solve a big data problem in the commercial world,” said Gilman Louis in this week’s Equity interview.
This week on Equity Wednesday, Rebecca Bellan is joined by Louis, co-founder of America’s Frontier Fund, to discuss the pressing trends in tech innovation. From robotics and AI reshaping manufacturing to Silicon Valley’s embrace of defense technology, plus Louis shares his main predictions for 2025.
Listen to the full episode for a deeper conversation on:
- Silicon Valley’s deep roots in defense tech
- The advantages and challenges facing founders seeking government contracts rather than VC funding
- The role startups play in shifting American leadership from the digital world back into physical manufacturing
Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here.