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- Field of View (FOV) - January 2026
Field of View (FOV) - January 2026
Early-Stage Aerospace & Defense Newsletter.
Approach Venture
February 02, 2026
Comprised of experienced startup operators and former DoD, 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(S) TO APPROACH VENTURE
Following noteworthy experiences within Aerospace & Defense industry recognized organizations supporting startups in sourcing and hiring Tier I technical team members to scale effectively as well as sourcing and conducting due diligence of A&D startups for venture capital investment, Approach is pleased to announce JENNER WIGGINS and JONATHAN MARCEL have joined our team as Vice President and Analyst, respectively.
For those in our industry who already know Jenner and Jonathan, they know both are incredibly connected and knowledgeable in their respective areas of expertise within Aerospace & Defense. Though Jonathan has been in an Approach uniform for only a couple of weeks, his impact is already being felt by both our internal team and clients we are fortunate to support ranging from larger organizations to startups — he also has prior experience serving as a relationship manager to a well-known government organization in connecting and aligning their technology interests to startups building said capabilities. Jenner’s first day at Approach is today and we are ecstatic to have someone with tremendous velocity added to our already strong recruiting vertical to help speed up the hiring of Tier I candidates for teams supporting dual-use applications.
Welcome to the team, Jenner and Jonathan!
ALPHA DELTA VENTURES LAUNCHES
Based in El Segundo with LPs across the United States, Alpha Delta Ventures (or “ADV”) launched in January 2026 as an early-stage US-focused Aerospace & Defense venture firm. Its industry-experienced LP base consists of individuals and organizations with deep operational, government and defense-market expertise spanning across time in uniform, building successful startups, exiting successful startups and decision maker seats across Primes and well-known A&D organizations.
The firm does not require a round lead to invest or write the startup’s first check, stage preference is Pre-Seed to Seed and ADV has the ability to both lead and follow. Check sizes range from $250k - $1 million.
ADV was built to allocate capital early and decisively, providing top tier founders with both strategic capital and an experienced LP network that understands aerospace, defense, space, and national-security markets from the inside as well as how to commercialize a product for dual-use applications.
Interested LPs & Startup Founder Contact: [email protected]
EMERGING TRENDS
NON-TRADITIONAL INVESTORS CONVERGE INTO A&D STARTUP ECOSYSTEM.
A new class of investors with deep pockets and limited Aerospace & Defense understanding are beginning to form investment theses and allocate capital to national-security driven startups as traditional markets compress and geopolitical risks rise. Corporate venture arms from industrial and infrastructure giants have been reaching out to Approach to form the best plan of attack to participate in A&D market growth and increasingly treating defense-adjacent startups as extensions of their energy, automation, and supply-chain platforms rather than as niche military bets.
Similarly, investors who made significant returns in high-volatility sectors like cryptocurrency are rotating into Aerospace & Defense in search of longer-duration, asset-backed growth that is less exposed to regulatory whiplash and retail sentiment. Approach has also recognized large family offices in California, Texas and on the East Coast that have historically pursued majority stakes in industrial businesses are now experimenting with minority venture positions as a way to gain exposure to breakthrough technologies and emerging trends without committing to M&A transactions too early.
What makes this convergence powerful is that these investors bring balance sheets, operational expertise, and procurement credibility that early-stage defense startups lack in most cases. The result is a rapidly forming capital layer that sits between traditional venture capital and Primes, accelerating paths to commercialization.
STARTUPS PRODUCING JOINT WHITE PAPERS WITH PRIMES.
Since the September 2025 government shutdown, Approach has recognized an increase in A&D Primes proposing to co-develop white papers and CONOPs to startups across terrestrial, aeronautical, and space domains to take directly to government customers. This could either be through active customers of the Prime or the inverse dynamic: Primes actively recruiting startups to jointly position concepts with PEOs and PAEs for startups who hold Phase II or larger contracts like TACFI, STRATFI or Phase IIIs.
This is mutually beneficial as startups need commercial customers and a commercial backstop to the government’s funding while Primes don’t have access to solicitations and funding opportunities meant for non-traditional, small business vendors (startups). Concepts span across counter-UAS, on-orbit mission sets, advancing low-cost startup manufacturing solutions for affordable mass initiatives and more.
TOP TALENT & FEATURED OPENINGS
TIGHTENING DEEP-TECH TALENT MARKET.
Specialized space and defense talent is more competitive than it has been in recent years. Companies like SpaceX have tightened retention ahead of a potential IPO, while record levels of venture capital continue to flow into the sector. Even employees who are open to making a move are often choosing to stay through major milestones, including Starship V3 planned for March 2026, continued expansion of next-generation Starlink satellites, and growing national security and government space programs. At the same time, large defense-tech players are aggressively scaling headcount, with Anduril Industries recently announcing plans to hire roughly 5,500 new employees in Long Beach alone. As more venture-backed companies scale their teams, demand for experienced engineers and technical leaders has surged, driving compensation higher across the markets.
Startups that once leaned on lower salaries and heavier equity are now offering stronger cash compensation to stay competitive. Benefits like 401k, solid healthcare, and flexible schedules are now standard. Many candidates are coming in above traditional salary ranges, and some are walking away from roles that do not reflect current market conditions. Beyond pay, candidates are also weighing mission, company growth, and, for early to mid-career talent, strong mentorship and hands-on development.
This shift is driving larger funding rounds as companies raise more capital to keep up with hiring demands and compete for top talent. A recent raise alone is no longer enough to stand out in a market where many startups are closing rounds at the same time. If an IPO does happen, the bigger wave of movement is coming a year or two later, likely making 2027 the period when more experienced SpaceX talent begins to re-enter the market. With hiring accelerating across the deep-tech ecosystem, this trend is expected to continue throughout the year, pushing salaries higher and increasing competition for talent. For founders, proactive planning and execution are now critical. Reactive hiring strategies are no longer enough to win in today’s market.
FEATURED JOB OPENINGS.
LEAD AVIONICS ENGINEER: Early-stage space startup is building next-generation spacecraft platforms that enable mobility and in-space resource capability, and this role leads the avionics systems that make those missions possible. It’s an opportunity to own the full electronics architecture from concept through flight, shaping how critical systems are designed, tested, and qualified for real spacecraft operating in demanding orbital environments. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
SENIOR ELECTRICAL ENGINEER: Venture-backed space and defense startup is developing high-reliability flight electronics for autonomous interceptor platforms and future orbital systems, and this role sits at the center of turning ambitious concepts into hardware that actually flies. You’ll own everything from PCB design and power architecture to sensor integration and ruggedized flight hardware, working hands-on from early prototypes through qualification and real-world testing in extreme environments. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
ROTORDYNAMICS ENGINEER: Venture-backed space propulsion startup is building ultra-high-speed rotating systems that power next-generation orbital platforms, and this role owns the dynamics behind turbines, shafts, bearings, and extreme RPM hardware operating in vacuum and harsh thermal environments. You’ll lead everything from stability modeling and vibration analysis to hands-on spin testing and design iteration, playing a foundational role in how advanced propulsion and rotating machinery are developed, validated, and scaled for real space missions. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
MECHANICAL ENGINEER: Fast-scaling advanced manufacturing startup is building highly integrated hardware systems that blend precision mechanics, electronics, and high-throughput production, and this role plays a hands-on part in turning complex designs into real-world products. From micro-scale components to full production tooling, you’ll drive mechanical development across analysis, prototyping, and manufacturability while working closely with cross-disciplinary teams to move next-generation hardware from concept to factory floor. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
MECHANICAL DESIGN ENGINEER: Venture-backed space robotics startup is creating autonomous structures that assemble directly in orbit, and this role sits at the heart of designing the mechanisms and structural systems that make those missions possible. You’ll own mechanical development across deployable hardware, robotic assemblies, and spacecraft-grade structures, working hands-on from early concepts through prototyping, testing, and flight-ready design as the company scales breakthrough space infrastructure. Location: Denver, CO (on-site) |
LEAD QUALITY ENGINEER: High-growth defense manufacturing startup is scaling advanced composite production and needs a quality leader to architect and own the systems that ensure flawless hardware output from prototype to full-rate builds. You’ll establish and mature quality processes, audits, and compliance frameworks that support mission-critical products destined for regulated aerospace and defense programs, with significant ownership over how quality is woven into every function of the business. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
VP OF MANUFACTURING: Emerging deep-tech startup is building a next-generation additive manufacturing platform for aerospace and defense, and this role leads the transformation from early prototypes to a scalable, high-reliability production operation. It’s a chance to architect factory systems, shape the manufacturing culture, and guide the buildout of a first-of-its-kind composite hardware capability with significant national impact. Location: Denver, CO (on-site) |
SENIOR STRESS ENGINEER: Fast-growing composites startup is developing next-generation manufacturing methods for high-performance structures used in defense and aerospace, and this role leads the structural analysis discipline behind that technology. It’s an opportunity to build the FEA framework from the ground up, connecting material characterization, simulation, and real-world testing to shape how complex composite systems are designed, validated, and scaled into mission-critical hardware. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
LEAD AI / ML ENGINEER: Defense-tech startup is building autonomous defense systems that rely on advanced machine learning at the edge, and this role leads the AI that makes real-time perception and decision-making possible. It’s a chance to architect and deploy low-latency models that classify, track, and respond to aerial threats in dynamic environments, shaping the intelligence layer behind next-generation autonomous platforms. Location: Austin, TX (on-site) |
INTEGRATION ENGINEER: Stealth manufacturing startup is building highly automated production systems for next-generation hardware, and this role owns how machines, test assets, tooling, and workflows come together on the factory floor. You’ll lead production line bring-up, integrate complex equipment and test infrastructure, and help scale high-volume manufacturing environments that blend mechanical systems, electronics, and software into a single, reliable operation. Location: Los Angeles, CA (on-site) |
ACOUSTIC MACHINE LEARNING ENGINEER: Well-funded defense robotics startup is building autonomous systems that use real-world audio data to detect and track fast-moving aerial threats, and this role owns the machine learning that makes that perception possible. You’ll develop robust acoustic models that operate in noisy outdoor environments, bridge signal processing with modern ML, and deploy edge-ready inference that directly powers fielded autonomous platforms. Location: Austin, TX (on-site) |
TRACKED SOLICITATIONS
New opportunities are increasingly originating from non-SBIR acquisition pathways, including CRADAs, BAAs, IDIQ on-ramps, RFIs, and OTA adjacent mechanisms issued by DoD components (MDA, AFRL, SSC, Navy SYSCOMs) and select civilian agencies. Since SBIR/STTR reauthorization has not yet occurred, agencies are visibly shifting near-term innovation engagement toward pre-award market research (RFIs), collaborative frameworks (CRADAs), and existing contract vehicles to maintain technology pipeline momentum while preserving budget flexibility. Collectively, these organizations are emphasizing rapid acquisition mechanisms such as OTAs, prize challenges, and others over traditional FAR-based RFPs along with an increased emphasis on dual use, near operational, and integration-ready capabilities that can transition quickly once funding authority stabilizes. Teams pursuing capture during this period should prioritize positioning, teaming, and data rights strategy now, with the expectation that SBIR-like funding velocity resumes post-reauthorization. Near term capture should focus on RFIs, CRADAs, BAAs, and IDIQ positioning to secure relationships, technical alignment, and transition pathways now, so we are first mover ready when SBIR/STTR funding authority resumes
ACTIVE.
UPCOMING.
VENTURE UPDATE
ANDREESSEN HOROWITZ’S AMERICAN DYNAMISM FUND RAISES OVER $1BN.
A16Z’s AMERICAN DYNAMISM FUND raised $1.176bn in fresh capital. The fund will invest in founders and companies supporting the America’s national interests across aerospace, defense, safety and manufacturing.
The American Dynamism Fund raise was part of an over $15bn fundraise across Andreessen Horowitz, amounting to over 18% of total venture capital dollars allocated in the United States in 2025.
VOYAGER VENTURES RAISES $275MM FUND II.
VOYAGER VENTURES has raised a $275mm Fund II, bringing total AUM to $475mm. The fund will focus on next-gen energy, advanced materials, industrial software, and AI for the physical world.
Fund II has already invested in several startups including ENAPI, Leeta, and Electroflow Technologies. Voyager Ventures will continue to geographically focus their investments in European and North American startups.
HEARTLAND VENTURES RAISES $60MM FUND III.
HEARTLAND VENTURES has raised a $60mm Fund III, surpassing over $140mm in total capital. The fund is focused on manufacturing and re-industrialization startups in the American Midwest region.
Heartland Ventures LP base is made up of hundreds of Midwest industrial "owner-operators" and the fund will focus on investing in Pre-Seed through Series A rounds, with a typical check size of $2 - 3mm.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES & EVENTS
Below contains an illustrative overview of several Aerospace & Defense conferences and events taking place in H1 2026 to keep an eye on or attend if you are in industry, an interested investor or looking to engage with potential dual-use customers for your solution.
FOUNDER TIP
BUILD THE TEAM YOU NEED, NOT THE ONE INVESTORS EXPLAIN YOU NEED.
We’ve seen many early-stage founders hire for roles their company doesn’t yet need and later have to let said individuals go. Between Pre-Seed and Seed, it’s imperative to prioritize technical team members who directly fill gaps within your product and execution roadmap to strengthen Company proposal submissions and to help drive investors to yes on the right team for the problem (or technology) at hand. Hiring decisions should be driven by where and when vertical integration makes sense as opposed to what an investor may tell you your business needs.
Link to Last Month’s Newsletter HERE.