For decades, defense innovation followed a familiar path: large primes, long timelines, and acquisition processes that often moved more slowly than the threats they were designed to counter. Today, that model is evolving. Across the national security ecosystem, defense accelerators are emerging as a new front door, giving small companies direct access to mission owners while helping the Department of War and the Intelligence Community move faster on critical capability gaps.
At the center of this shift is a growing network of regionally grounded accelerators designed not to pitch ideas in the abstract, but to deliver working technology to operators. One example is 757 Collab, a Norfolk-based innovation hub that has built a defense accelerator model tightly aligned with real government needs, sponsor engagement, and acquisition outcomes.
Rather than acting as a venture pipeline, the model focuses on execution. Startups are selected, funded modestly, embedded with government mentors, and pushed toward tangible demonstrations that can transition into contracts, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), or follow-on opportunities.
A Model Built Around Government-Defined Needs
The 757 Collab defense accelerator is structured around a simple premise: innovation moves faster when startups are solving clearly articulated government problems. For its most recent cohort, the program selected 12 startups from a pool of roughly 150 applicants. Those companies were chosen to address specific naval and operational challenges identified by government sponsors, ranging from unmanned surface vehicle enablers and autonomous network management to electromagnetic spectrum monitoring and expeditionary mine countermeasures.
Each participating startup works directly with subject matter experts from sponsoring commands. These government partners define the operational need, provide technical guidance, and engage with companies throughout the program, helping ensure that what is built is usable, relevant, and aligned with mission realities. By the end of the program, companies are expected to produce working demonstrations that can be evaluated by government stakeholders and, in some cases, moved quickly into pilot efforts or formal agreements.
“What we are trying to do is close the gap between startups and government acquisition by starting with real operational needs and building toward working demos,” said Kali Luthra, who leads the defense accelerator at 757 Collab. “When companies are meeting regularly with government sponsors and shaping their technology around specific use cases, it becomes much easier to move from interest to adoption.”
Accelerators and a Shifting Defense Landscape
The growing role of defense accelerators reflects a broader shift underway across the national security ecosystem. As threats evolve faster and technology cycles shorten, traditional acquisition models alone are no longer sufficient to keep pace. Startups, particularly those building dual-use and deep-tech solutions, are increasingly part of the answer.
Unlike large primes, early-stage companies often bring unconventional approaches, faster iteration cycles, and a willingness to challenge legacy assumptions. But without guidance, access, and a clear understanding of government requirements, many of those innovations struggle to translate into operational capability.
Accelerators sit at that intersection. At their best, they help startups understand how the Department of War and Intelligence Community articulate problems, evaluate solutions, and move technologies toward adoption. Just as importantly, they give government stakeholders early visibility into emerging tools before requirements harden or opportunities pass.
Innovation Starts with the Problem, Not the Pitch
One of the defining characteristics of modern defense accelerators is a shift away from abstract pitches and toward problem-driven development. Rather than asking startups to explain what their technology might do, accelerators increasingly start by asking government sponsors what they actually need.
This approach changes the dynamic for both sides. Startups gain clarity on mission priorities, constraints, and operational context. Government partners, in turn, engage earlier in the development process, helping shape solutions while reducing the risk that promising technology fails to align with real-world use.
According to Luthra, that alignment is essential if innovation is going to move at operational speed. “When you start with a clearly defined need and keep government sponsors involved throughout the process, you create a much more realistic path to adoption,” she said.
Lowering Barriers Without Lowering Standards
Defense innovation has often been criticized as inaccessible to small businesses, particularly those without prior contracting experience. Accelerators are not a cure-all, but they do lower some of the most common barriers to entry.
Many programs emphasize education on acquisition pathways, contracting mechanisms, and cybersecurity requirements, not as gatekeeping tools but as practical knowledge startups need to survive in the defense market. Importantly, this education is increasingly treated as a public good rather than proprietary intellectual property.
As Luthra noted during the discussion, expanding access to this information benefits the entire ecosystem. The more small businesses understand how the system works, the more viable solutions the government can evaluate.
That openness reflects a growing recognition that innovation capacity is not just about funding or scale. It is about understanding how to navigate complexity and aligning commercial development with government timelines and expectations.
Beyond a Single Cohort
While accelerator cohorts often attract the most attention, many organizations now operate on a year-round model that extends well beyond a single program cycle. Technology scans, targeted pitch days, and focused workshops allow accelerators to respond quickly to emerging needs and bring new companies into the conversation as priorities shift.
This rolling engagement model mirrors how innovation actually happens. Capabilities emerge unevenly, requirements evolve, and timing matters. By maintaining ongoing relationships with both startups and government stakeholders, accelerators help keep innovation flowing rather than confined to a fixed calendar.
The result is not a shortcut around acquisition, but a more informed and agile front end to it.
Why Accelerators Matter to the National Security Workforce
For the national security workforce, the rise of accelerators signals a meaningful change. Innovation is no longer confined to large defense contractors or internal government labs. Small businesses, academic spinouts, and dual-use startups are increasingly contributing to mission capability, often with greater agility and speed.
That shift has implications not just for technology adoption, but for talent, workforce development, and how national security organizations engage with the private sector.
“Defense accelerators are creating new pathways for innovation that simply did not exist years ago,” said Alex Schildt, President of ClearanceJobs. “They bring together government, industry, and entrepreneurs in a way that accelerates learning on all sides. At ClearanceJobs, we love to highlight efforts that inject agility, energy, and fresh thinking into the national security ecosystem, while helping ensure that critical technology reaches the missions and people who need it most.”
A New Front Door, Not a Shortcut
Accelerators are not a replacement for formal acquisition, nor are they a shortcut around oversight or rigor. Instead, they represent a new front door, one that allows innovation to enter the system earlier, with clearer alignment to operational needs and a better understanding of how technology transitions into use.
As national security challenges grow more complex and timelines continue to compress, models like this are likely to become more common. For startups, they offer a structured, realistic way into defense markets. For the Pentagon and the Intelligence Community, they provide a mechanism to engage emerging technology before opportunity windows close.
And for the broader national security workforce, they signal a future where innovation is faster, more collaborative, and increasingly driven by small teams with big ideas and direct mission impact.
