DARPA has announced the selection of five leading technology accelerators across the United States as official DARPA Commercial Accelerators, a move designed to speed up the commercialization and scaling of innovative technologies funded by the agency. These accelerators will transform early-stage technologies into market-ready solutions with significant potential impact.
The selected DARPA Commercial Accelerators include:
- Capital Factory (Austin, Texas)
- CIMIT (Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston)
- FedTech (Hyperion Technologies LLC) (Arlington, Virginia)
- SRI International (Menlo Park, California)
- Wireless Research Center of North Carolina (Wake Forest, North Carolina)
These regional accelerators are strategically positioned to tap into top-tier commercial and entrepreneurial talent, connect DARPA-funded companies with private investment capital, and provide essential training and mentoring. They will also focus on techno-economic market mapping, financial analysis, deal sourcing, and early-stage company building.
DARPA’s Commercial Strategy team, which leads the agency’s efforts to prevent adversarial influence in DARPA-funded technologies, will collaborate closely with these accelerators. The goal is to ensure that the technologies remain accessible to the United States and its allies while scaling rapidly for economic and national security benefits.
The DARPA Commercial Accelerators will build on the success of the agency’s Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative (EEI) pilot program. Launched in 2022, the EEI program has helped DARPA performers raise over $1 billion in private investment capital and launch more than 21 new products, services, and capabilities. Additionally, U.S. corporations have invested $639 million in acquiring DARPA early-stage technologies.
“DARPA’s mission remains steadfast in pushing the boundaries of science and technology to prevent and create technological surprise,” said DARPA Chief of Commercial Strategy Sha-Chelle Manning. “With these regional accelerators, we can ensure more DARPA-funded teams can recruit top talent, develop robust go-to-market strategies, raise capital, and scale operations, turning groundbreaking technology into high value for national, economic, and societal impact.”
By leveraging the unique regional capabilities of universities, labs, and demonstration sites, the DARPA Commercial Accelerators will help de-risk the market inefficiencies and business risks that often hinder the rapid commercialization of emerging technologies. This initiative is expected to have far-reaching implications for the defense and commercial sectors, driving innovation and strengthening national security.
