by Andreessen Horowitz At the recent American Dynamism Summit, Hadrian’s founder and CEO Chris Power painted a picture of a country in danger. “I am here to talk to you about the existential risks to the Republic’s future and how Hadrian intends to resolve them.
His words, a mixture of rationalism and Marcus Aurelius, were not out of place at events where investors, founders, policymakers and other Washington officials gathered to discuss the issues facing the country. A notable number of talks have been related to defense and national security, along with American his dynamism his team’s investment portfolio, including investments in defense tech startups such as Hadrian, Anduril and Shield AI.
Only a few years ago, many investors thought writing a check to a defense-first startup was an utterly pointless proposition. The tide has clearly turned. a16z is he one of many companies with a stronger interest in defense and national security. PitchBook data confirms this warming to defense technology. Between January and October of last year, the VC-backed company injected his $7 billion into aerospace and defense companies. This is strong growth in contrast to the relative slump in other sectors. Deals in recent months include Anduril’s $1.4 billion Series E. Shield AI’s $225 million Series E. Vannevar Labs’ $75 million Series B.
There are many reasons for the growing interest in defense technology, but driving them all is a new pragmatic vision spreading among some technologists and venture capitalists.It sees global conflict as threatening the country’s stability pax americanait sees the United States rotting from within due to bloat and lethargy. As a result, Silicon Valley thinking has returned to its defense roots, embracing the role that venture-funded startups can play in maintaining U.S. military and technological superiority around the world.
“If you believe in democracy, democracy needs a sword,” a16z general partner David Ulevitch said in a recent interview with TechCrunch. And Silicon Valley will be where it is built.
