Every action movie has a hero, but the most intriguing spy movies have an inventor. The inventor may have a small role in the film but always has the perfect gadget to help the hero save the day. James Bond had Q, The Goonies had Data, and even someone with no special powers could transform into a caped crusader with the best tech. Suppose you have a special skill set and are eager to support the defense community. In that case, you may be granted access to some of the great inventions available through the Defense Innovation Accelerator.

If you have always wanted to be an action or entrepreneurial hero, this is your chance to learn how to commercialize deep tech breakthroughs so advanced they sound like science fiction. Many may think you need top-secret clearance to access lists of government-funded innovations. However, these scientific breakthroughs are available to anyone selected to the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) Defense Innovation Accelerator powered by FedTech.

Many of the inventions that are accessible to these newly formed teams require decades of research, thousands of hours of development, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce, protect, and patent. Access to these incredible innovations is nothing short of inspiring.

I was honored to participate in the 2020 NSIN Defense Innovation Accelerator (DIA). The program was far from easy, but nothing that can change the world should be simple.

From the first day, the FedTech team made it clear that everyone selected for this mission-driven accelerator had a responsibility to perform at the highest level and strive to advance these astounding technologies for commercialization. The array of technologies ranged from cybersecurity to human performance and 3D mapping to wireless power transmission. Impressive tech and outstanding teams were assembled after undergoing a series of tests.

Military veterans, technology professionals, successful entrepreneurs, and academic leaders were paired together based on personality types, technical strengths, and entrepreneurial expertise to form the best possible teams. This intense program put those teams to the test with training sessions, customer discovery interviews, and presentations over sixteen weeks.

My team, Forcyte, was fortunate to be named the audience choice winner of the 2020 DIA demo day with our wireless power transmission technology, capable of sending directed energy over long distances to energize and expand warfighting capabilities never before possible. We are proud to be working to revolutionize autonomous systems with advanced data monitoring and the ability to charge unmanned systems in motion. Our startup has since gone on to form a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owner Small Business (SDVOSB) and secured funding.  

The tremendous team building, access to innovative technology, and support for newly formed startups would be expected to come at a high cost since most accelerators take equity to support previously developed teams, technologies, and ventures.

Here are six ways the National Security Innovation Network Defense Innovation Accelerator powered by FedTech is changing the American innovation commercialization landscape.

1. 1. Teaming Department of Defense-funded technologies with experienced entrepreneurs to accelerate inclusive innovation and support America's defense capabilities.
   2. Access to fantastic technology, protected intellectual property, and advanced technical readiness level innovations.
   3. Interactions with brilliant inventors eager to work with entrepreneurs and see their research commercialized, to improve the world at home and beyond our borders.
   4. Connections to mentors, investors, and a network excited to help teams secure tech transfer licenses and Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADA).
   5. Creating a community eager to help teams and technologies succeed. This success is more significant than business and advances technologies that support and protect our American warfighters. 
   6. There is no equity exchanged for this outstanding entrepreneurial experience to form a startup.

If you have an obsession with innovation and want to sharpen your entrepreneurial skills with cutting-edge defense technologies, then this program may be perfect for you. The NSIN DIA program is intense and very selective, but if you have military experience, entrepreneurial expertise, and the ability to comprehend technology with futuristic functionality, then this program may change the trajectory of your career forever.

Apply for the next DIA cohort at https://recruiting.fedtech.io/dia-entrepreneur-application by April 2, 2021