Defense Tech
needs a
harder moat.
Dual-use technology built for defense has the highest IP stakes in venture. Adversarial actors, well-funded primes, and foreign state actors can all copy what you build. We help you make it legally costly to do so.
Utility patents for autonomous systems
Novel navigation algorithms, sensor fusion methods, and decision-making architectures in autonomous platforms are patentable. We draft claims that survive both USPTO examination and potential IPR challenges from well-resourced primes.
Trade secrets for sensitive IP
Not everything should be patented in defense tech. We identify what to patent (published, enforceable) vs. what to protect as trade secret (unpublished, shielded under the DTSA) - a decision requiring both legal and national security judgment.
International filing strategy
Dual-use tech requires careful PCT filing decisions. We navigate ITAR, EAR, and foreign filing licenses so your international IP strategy never creates compliance exposure or inadvertent technology transfer.
Dual-use IP needs a
dual-track strategy.
The most valuable defense tech companies own both the commercial and government markets. That requires IP broad enough to cover commercial applications, specific enough to enforce against large primes, and structured to avoid export control issues.
Most defense tech founders have deep domain expertise but no IP strategy at seed stage. By the time a prime replicates their system, the window for broad claims has closed.
Defense tech founders face a unique IP dilemma: patents are public documents, which means filing can reveal sensitive innovations to adversaries. But not filing means competitors - including foreign state-backed actors - can copy freely.
“In defense tech, the wrong IP strategy doesn't just hurt your valuation - it can compromise national security.”
Where we deploy
IP firepower.
Drone detection, identification, and interdiction systems
RF classification, CV tracking, defeat mechanismsNovel RF signature classification, computer vision-based tracking, and kinetic/non-kinetic defeat mechanisms contain patentable technical methods. We file while your system is still in field testing.
Unmanned ground, air, and maritime vehicle autonomy
Path planning, obstacle avoidance, swarm coordinationPath planning algorithms, obstacle avoidance systems, and swarm coordination protocols are patentable. We identify the specific technical innovations within your platform that command the broadest claims.
Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems
Multi-modal fusion, target recognition, signal processingMulti-modal sensor fusion architectures, target recognition models, and signal processing pipelines involve novel methods - the kind of IP that commands licensing revenue from primes.
On-device inference for deployed military systems
Model compression, hardware-software co-designNovel model compression techniques, hardware-software co-design methods, and inference optimization for resource-constrained environments are protectable and increasingly valuable.
Defense tech IP
is a national asset.
We co-invest $25K–$200K alongside top-tier leads and DIU/AFWERX-backed companies in defense and dual-use technology. Our IP strategy navigates both commercial enforcement and defense-specific compliance requirements.