Field of View (FOV) - April 2026

Early-Stage Aerospace & Defense Newsletter.

Author

Approach Venture
May 04, 2026

Comprised of experienced startup operators and former military, Approach Venture was formed to enable founding teams building the future of frontier technology to achieve their full potential.

Approach supports frontier technology startups across fundraise, business development, proposal writing and recruiting efforts as well as larger organizations with technology scouting, due diligence, market intelligence and formulating investment theses.

CONTACT APPROACH to learn more. Follow us on LINKEDIN.

NEW ADDITION TO APPROACH VENTURE

Kylie is a business development professional with experience supporting aerospace programs at NASA, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and Astrobotic Technology. She specializes in proposal writing and management, growth strategy, and project management, and holds a master’s degree in aviation and space from Oklahoma State University.

She began her career as an intern at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center and later served as an Education Specialist managing cooperative agreements for NASA-funded research and education centers at minority-serving institutions. Kylie transitioned to the private sector where she supported execution of large government programs as a Program Planner and Control Account Manager at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. She then moved over to Senior Proposal Project Manager at Astrobotic Technology supporting business development efforts for suborbital reusable rockets, engine development, and lunar landers.

Kylie joined Approach Venture to help small businesses mature critical technologies and meet the evolving needs of government, commercial, and university partners. She believes space-based innovation benefits everyone on Earth—and is so passionate about the aerospace industry she named her pets Aero Space, Astro Naut, and Sonic Boom.

Welcome to the team, Kylie!

BANKING BY TECH FOUNDERS FOR TECH FOUNDERS

Founded by Palmer Luckey, Erebor is the first nationally-chartered bank built by tech founders for tech founders and the investors who back them. Unique among banks, Erebor's core banking systems were built from the ground up to combine the API integrations and UX of a modern FinTech with the lending power of a Bank's balance sheet to create the world's first true "Tech Bank" for the innovation economy.

Blake Armstrong is VP Growth at Erebor and is based in SF. He spent 10 years as a lender at SVB where he was most-recently National Head of Business Development. Prior to joining SVB he was an operator / early-stage investor in Paris, France and earned his MBA from the University of Oxford.

SHIFT TO PERFORMANCE-BASED, FIXED-PRICE FEDERAL CONTRACTING.

The White House issued a new executive order on April 30 titled “Promoting Efficiency, Accountability, and Performance in Federal Contracting.” The directive signals a clear shift toward fixed-price, performance-based contracts, with the goal of tightening cost control and increasing accountability across federal procurement. It also takes aim at cost-reimbursement structures, arguing they can incentivize overspending by insulating contractors from efficiency pressures. Going forward, agencies will need senior-level approval to use non–fixed-price contracts and are expected to review existing awards for potential restructuring. With OMB guidance due within 45 days and agency implementation shortly after, this move is likely to materially reshape how contractors price, bid, and execute government work.

The EO further specifies that any non-fixed-price contract or the non-fixed-price portion of a hybrid contract exceeding the below value thresholds must receive written approval from the agency head prior to award.

  • $100 million, in the case of a DoW contract

  • $35 million, in the case of a NASA contract

  • $25 million, in the case of a DHS contract

  • $10 million, in the case of a contract involving an agency other than the DoW, the DHS or NASA

MASS-PRODUCIBLE, TACTICAL JET ENGINES.

Terrestrial propulsion priorities are shifting towards small turbojet engines in the 100–200 lbf thrust class, built in the thousands per year at unit costs orders of magnitude below today's military-grade systems. There is an explicit gap between hobby-grade engines that lack the reliability needed for warfighting and full-up military turbines whose cost and lead times make them unusable as expendable propulsion for one-way attack drones, loitering munitions, and low-cost interceptors.

Two enabling technology threads sit beneath this push. The first is a broader move toward digital, software-defined manufacturing across our defense industrial supply base — and the second is supply-chain reshoring for superalloy hot-section castings and forgings, where domestic capacity remains the binding constraint on output. We expect to see sustained government appetite for pooled RDT&E vehicles and production-scaling funding aimed specifically at hot-section castings, forgings, and the underlying foundry base. Taken together, these signals point to a procurement posture in which propulsion is treated less as a bespoke prime deliverable and more as a high-rate commodity whose unit cost and surge capacity are first-order requirements.

INTERVIEWING IS A TWO-WAY STREET.

Most strong talent is running multiple interview processes at the same time, so a one-sided interview process does not hold up. If the process is only technical screens, questions, and evaluation, it fails to give candidates a reason to choose the team. Top candidates need to be sold on the vision of the company, and that vision needs to align with their interests. Without a clear picture of what they are building, why it matters, and where the company is going, candidates will opt into other opportunities that do a better job communicating it. A strong role on paper is not enough if the process does not reinforce it.

Founder involvement and clear communication of vision early in the process are a requirement to close top talent. Candidates are weighing leadership, direction, and long-term upside alongside compensation and equity, and those factors often carry more weight late in the process. The key is to be direct and intentional, without overselling, when sharing the roadmap, how decisions are made, and what the next 6 to 24 months look like. Teams that miss this consistently lose candidates in process or at the offer stage. The teams that close are the ones that treat interviews as a two-way process from the start.

FEATURED JOB OPENINGS.

SENIOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Optical hardware startup building next-generation photonic systems for high-speed data and scalable optical infrastructure. This role focuses on designing and validating core photonic components, including modulators, waveguides, and filters across silicon photonics and related platforms. You will work across simulation, lab testing, and system integration to bring designs from concept into production-ready hardware.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

SENIOR FLIGHT SOFTWARE ENGINEER: Space mobility startup developing next-generation spacecraft platforms for high-energy missions. This role owns the development of core flight software systems, including guidance, control, command and telemetry, and fault management. You will design, implement, and test real-time embedded software while working closely with avionics and hardware teams to ensure reliable on-orbit performance. It is a high-ownership opportunity to build flight-critical systems from early development through mission deployment.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

SENIOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Seed-stage aerospace team working on launch and high-speed systems, focused on reducing cost and complexity at the system level. This role sits close to the CTO and owns electrical architecture across the platform, defining how power, controls, and data systems are designed and integrated from the ground up. Drive key design decisions, lead board and system development, and work across mechanical, fluids, and software to ensure everything functions as a cohesive system. It is a strong fit for someone who wants to move beyond component-level work and shape full product direction, while still staying hands-on through build, test, and iteration.

Location: East Bay, CA (on-site)

SENIOR STRESS ENGINEER: Advanced manufacturing startup building next-generation composite systems with a focus on speed, cost, and performance at scale. Own structural analysis across the full lifecycle from early modeling through validation and production. You will develop FEA approaches for novel materials, guide design decisions with simulation, and work closely with test and manufacturing to ensure models reflect real-world behavior. The role sits at the center of design, materials, and production, with direct influence on how new composite technologies are applied to high-demand systems. Strong fit for someone who wants to build the analysis function from scratch and tie simulation tightly to hardware outcomes.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

PRINCIPAL TURBOMACHINERY ENGINEER: Early-stage energy startup rethinking how turbine systems are designed and brought to market, with a focus on efficient, scalable power generation. This role sits at the core of the company, working directly with the founding team to define turbomachinery architecture and push designs from first principles through real hardware. You will lead development across aerodynamics, thermal systems, and rotordynamics, while staying hands-on with design, prototyping, and test. The position is geared toward someone who has built rotating systems before and wants full ownership over both the technical direction and execution, with a clear path from concept to validated product.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

FOUNDING GNC ENGINEER: Defense startup building autonomous aerospace systems designed for high-speed, contested environments. This role owns the full guidance, navigation, and control stack, from early algorithm development through real-world system performance. You will build flight control architectures, develop estimation and guidance methods, and create simulation environments that tie directly into hardware and flight software. The work is deeply hands-on, spanning modeling, control design, and system-level testing, with direct influence on vehicle behavior and overall mission success. Strong fit for someone who wants to take full ownership of GNC on a clean-sheet platform and see it through from concept to deployment.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

VP OF ENGINEERING: Space startup building next-generation spacecraft platforms designed for demanding orbital missions. This role leads the full engineering organization, owning system architecture and execution across avionics, flight software, guidance, and embedded systems. You will define technical strategy, guide major design decisions, and drive development from early architecture through flight readiness. It is a high-impact opportunity to build and scale an engineering team while shaping a new spacecraft platform from the ground up.

Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site)

DIRECTOR OF TEST OPERATIONS: PE-backed space company scaling propulsion systems for in-space applications, with a growing need for robust, high-throughput test infrastructure. Own all testing operations across the organization, from facility management and safety to execution of full test campaigns. Lead propulsion testing across component and system levels, build out test capabilities, and ensure data quality and reliability as hardware moves toward flight readiness. The position combines team leadership with hands-on operational oversight, working closely with engineering and program teams to keep development moving quickly and efficiently.

Location: Ventura County, CA (on-site)

TRACKED SOLICITATIONS

By no means exhaustive given the recent reauthorization of the SBIR / STTR program, below contains active Phase I, D2P2 and other opportunities within the Aerospace & Defense ecosystem.

ACTIVE.

  • AFRL’s Endless Forge Solicitation for Manufacturing as a Service

  • USSF SBIR Phase II - Secure Multi-Source Data Fusion Environment for pLEO Constellations

  • USSF SBIR Phase II - Knowledge-Guided Test and Evaluation Frameworks for pLEO Constellations

  • USSF SBIR Phase II - Technology Maturation to Support Commercial De-Orbit as a Service for pLEO Constellations

  • USSF STTR Phase I - Adaptive and Intelligent Space (AIS)

  • NASA SBIR Phase II - 2025 Follow-on

  • SAMDIB Cornerstone

  • SOCOM SBIR Phase I – AURORA

  • NASA STTR Phase I - Very Low Earth Orbits (VLEO) Control Surfaces

  • NASA SBIR Phase I - Flight Demonstrations of Commercial In-Space Logistics, Robotic Manipulation, and Automation Systems for Future Space Operations

  • NASA SBIR Phase I - Improved Material Discovery through Leveraging Novel Modeling and Experimental Approaches

UPCOMING.

  • SOCOM D2P2 SBIR: IRONWALKER

  • Navy SBIR Phase I - E-2D Large Language Model Entity (ELLMENT)

  • USAF SBIR Phase II - Homeland Convoy Counter Drone Operations

  • Army SBIR Phase I - Modular Payloads for UAS

  • USAF SBIR Phase II - Homeland Convoy Counter Drone Operations

  • USAF SBIR Phase I - Low-Cost Modular Payload Vehicle for Agile EW Swarms with Ground Launch Capability

  • USAF SBIR Phase I - Commercial-Derived Insights for Novel TacSRT Capabilities

  • Navy SBIR Phase I - Effects of Additive Loading on Electromagnetic Properties in 3D Printing

  • Navy SBIR Phase I - Robocasting Ceramic Sensors

  • The next Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) window set to release August 2026

  • TBD on the next TACFI, STRATFI and Strategic Funding Breakthrough windows which AFWERX also does not know the timing of

VENTURE UPDATE

NOMI CAPITAL CLOSES $50M DEFENSE TECH FUND I.

NOMI CAPITAL announced the close of a $50M Fund I focused on investing in early-stage defense technology startups, signaling continued momentum in the sector. The fund will target companies building critical national security capabilities, particularly in areas aligned with U.S. defense priorities and modern warfare needs.

Nomi Capital positions itself as a specialized investor aiming to bridge the gap between venture-backed startups and the Department of War, helping companies navigate procurement and scale adoption. The raise underscores growing investor appetite for defense tech as geopolitical tensions and government demand drive increased funding into dual-use and military-focused innovation.

FOUNDER TIP

PRIORITIZE HIGH PWIN, FUNDED OPPORTUNITIES > RFI RESPONSES.

Unless an RFI is coming from a commercial organization (who is well capitalized) and directly tied to near-term revenue, founders should prioritize submitting proposals where there is a clear path to a funded award and a high probability of win rather than spreading effort across low conviction opportunities.

Focus your time on solicitations with clear award totals / budgets with strong alignment to your core technology (and its related maturity). RFIs are best treated as a free market research report to government stakeholders. A disciplined capture management approach concentrates effort where capital is actually being deployed.

Link to Last Month’s Newsletter HERE.