Contested Seas, Contested Budgets: Where Navy Innovation Money Goes

The Navy spends billions on research and development every year, yet most promising technologies never make it from the lab to the fleet. Why? In this fireside chat, the former Deputy CTO of the Navy pulls back the curtain on how the sea services actually evaluate, fund, and field new capability. We'll trace the real path from science-and-technology dollars to an acquisition program that buys, map the players that matter (ONR, SYSCOMs, and the PAEs) , and get candid about where the Navy is putting its money now; autonomy, shipbuilding, the submarine industrial base, and contested logistics. What You'll Learn:How the Navy organizes R&D — ONR, NRL, NavalX, and the Tech Bridges — and which door a founder should knock on firstThe difference between getting science-and-technology funding and getting a real acquisition program to buyHow the SYSCOMs (NAVSEA, NAVAIR, NIWC) and PEOs make buying decisions, and how to find your sponsor inside themAdditional Resources:Find more Startup Events, learn about Finding a Co-Founder, or visit our Insights Blog for more startup tips. About Founder Institute:The Founder Institute is the World's Largest AI-Native Company Builder, giving idea-stage, first-time founders, and employees making the leap to entrepreneurship the tools, global network, and proven methodology to build an AI-powered startup from zero to funding. Since 2009, our structured programs have helped over [total_graduates] founders across [total_countries] countries raise more than $[total_funding] in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 6 continents, our mission is to empower talented and motivated people everywhere to build impactful, AI-powered companies.