We’re proud to once again be recognized by Silicon Valley Defense Group (SVDG) as the most active investor in the NatSec100, a cohort spotlighting the leading venture-backed, dual-use startups shaping the future of defense technology. This marks the fourth year in a row that IQT has topped the list, underscoring our long-standing commitment to accelerating technologies critical to national security.
With a portfolio of 850+ investments across 35+ U.S. states and 20+ allied nations, IQT remains focused on driving innovation that strengthens our national defense and ensures the U.S. stays ahead of emerging threats.
IQT’s EVP of International, Dr. Jennifer Nelson, makes the case for the UK’s university ecosystem as a genuine competitive advantage in dual-use defence innovation, and what it will take to turn that advantage into deployable capability.
In her newest article with Defence Online, Dr. Nelson shares that while U.S. venture capital investment in defense has outpaced Europe significantly over the past decade, the UK’s depth of academic talent across AI, quantum, and advanced manufacturing presents a real opportunity. The key is building the connective tissue between universities, startups, government buyers, and venture capital while moving with the speed and strategic focus the moment demands.
Dr. Nelson also sat down with Authority Magazine to discuss how today’s leaders can prepare for a future that’s moving faster than most organizations are built to handle.
She shared lessons from 15+ years at IQT, spanning roles across portfolio management, government partnership, and international investment while sharing what it takes to lead through rapid technological change.
Her key insight: “We don’t actually have an innovation problem—we have a deployment challenge.”
In this episode of IQT Explains, host Jon Chait from IQT’s Investments team sits down with Paul Lwin, CEO of HavocAI and former U.S. Naval Flight Officer, to explore the rapidly evolving world of maritime innovation. Paul shares what drives his work at the intersection of autonomy, software‑defined systems, and multi‑domain operations, and why the maritime environment is positioned for a technological leap.
Together, they dive into emerging capabilities shaping the future of sea operations, the shifting demands of global security environments, and how HavocAI’s software‑first approach is redefining what’s possible across military and commercial applications. From operational challenges to the components and technologies most in need of reinvention, this conversation offers an inside look at the next frontier of autonomy and national security.
May 27, 2026: “RevEng.AI helps organizations analyze compiled software at the binary level to determine what is actually inside executables, firmware, and third-party software without requiring access to source code.”
Read RevEng.AI's press release
June 10, 2026: “The government needs robust vehicles that can support a wide range of use cases without forcing operators to compromise on payload, range, exportable power or durability…our American designed, engineered and assembled vehicles fulfill this need while supporting domestic manufacturing capacity, which is itself a national security asset.”
Read Harbinger's press release
June 17, 2026: “We believe world models represent a new class of foundation model—AI that can understand and simulate the world itself…the last few years have seen major breakthroughs in scaling, interactivity, multimodality, and physics accuracy, and the field is now advancing extremely quickly. This round provides the compute, infrastructure, and partners to push the frontier of general world models, and to achieve a GPT-3 moment for the field.”
Across every domain, from cyber and biotech to energy and manufacturing, the common thread is mission impact: technologies that strengthen the people and systems protecting the nation. Thank you for being part of the IQT community.
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