Commercial Strategy Office

About Commercial Strategy

The Commercial Strategy Office was launched in 2019 to rapidly scale DARPA-funded technologies critical to DOD’s warfighting mission. We accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough military capabilities to enhance readiness, advance national and economic security, and set the “gold standard” for commercializing high-risk, high-impact innovations.

Working directly with DARPA performers and mission partners, we increase warfighter access to DARPA technologies and create market advantages to maintain military dominance. This is achieved by preventing adversarial investment in DARPA funded technologies, increasing U.S. private investment in products that enhance lethality, and expanding access to non-traditional partners.

Our objectives are to:

• Eliminate adversarial investment by building stronger companies with a higher likelihood of securing U.S. investment
• Increase the number and speed of DARPA technologies that are commercialized
• Demonstrate leadership commercializing key technologies for the DOD/USG
• Facilitating U.S. private investment into DOD capabilities
   

Scorecard

Reference
*Only reporting publicly available data;
  Private investment reported per PitchBook & SCAs;
  Cumulative, since the EEI’s pilot expansion in 2018 - present
 

Initiatives 

• Embedded Entrepreneur Initiative (EEI)
  EEI pairs top technical talent from DARPA programs with experienced business leaders to accelerate the transition of breakthrough technologies to market. The program provides hands-on go-to-market support, equipping teams with the tools, expertise, and strategies needed to succeed in both government and commercial sectors. By fostering strong commercialization roadmaps, EEI helps DARPA awardees attract U.S. investment and scale their innovations.
   

• Commercial Accelerators
  DARPA’s Commercial Accelerators provide access to regional top-tier commercial and entrepreneurial talent, technology ecosystems, and investor networks. Their objective is to facilitate rapid commercialization and scale of DARPA-funded technologies to enhance warfighting capabilities for the DOD. 

  DARPA’s regional Commercial Accelerators are:

  • Capital Factory, based in Austin, Texas
  • Consortia for Improving Medicine with Innovation and Technology (CIMIT), based in Boston
  • FedTech, based in Arlington, Va.
  • SRI International, based in Menlo Park, Calif.
  • Wireless Research Center of North Carolina, based in Wake Forest, N.C.
     
• Tiger Teams & MVPs
  Tiger Teams are customized DARPA commercialization teams focused on high-impact DARPA programs. 
  
  Tiger Teams convene technical and business experts to develop and implement commercial solutions to ultra high-risk problem sets with considerable impact to commercial markets, DoD mission needs, and long-term economic and national security. Among others, solutions may include creating an Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to
  • De-risk product-market fit
  • Demonstrate capabilities and generate early revenue
  • Accelerate transition to DoD customers
  • Attract private-sector investment
  • Improve negotiating position with respect to fundraising, further marginalizing the ability of adversarial capital to offer better terms and conditions for investment into critical dual-use technologies
     
• Venture Horizons 
  Venture Horizons seeks to provide opportunities to connect top-tier investors with DARPA program managers, R&D performers and other DARPA personnel through an initiative called DARPA Venture Horizons (“Venture Horizons”) to amplify the impact of DARPA’s work in breakthrough technologies.
  
  Venture Horizons identifies commensurate talent from a select group of top-tier investors to which DARPA may introduce opportunities for continued investment in DARPA technologies through engagements with our subject matter experts. Venture Horizons participants include family offices, angel investors, venture capital firms, corporate venture capital firms, and private equity (PE) or buy out firms
  • With pedigrees and track records of commercializing technology
  • That are interested in partnering with DARPA to advance the Agency’s portfolio of technologies
     

Leadership

• Sha-Chelle (ShaC) Devlin Manning, Chief of Commercial Strategy | LinkedIn
• Aaron Kofford, Senior Advisor | LinkedIn  
• John Spirtos, Senior Commercial Advisor | LinkedIn
• Dominic Gallello, Senior Commercial Advisor | LinkedIn

How to Work with Us

• Senior Commercialization Advisors (SCAs)
  SCAs play a pivotal role in assessing the commercial viability of DARPA performers interested in commercialization. This role involves working with cutting-edge innovations, catalyzed from one of DARPA’s six technical divisions and transforming these innovations into market-ready products and solutions. SCAs are selected specifically for their expertise, track record, depth of technical knowledge, and entrepreneurial acumen. As a result, the SCA supports both the performer and the Commercial Strategy leadership team by bridging the gap between technology and business. 
   

• Gratuitous Service Advisors (GSAs)
  The Services Agreement (GSA) Program allows accomplished civilians to serve DARPA’s national security mission and advance economic prosperity. Individuals at the top of their respective fields can leverage their talents to advance technoeconomic priorities, serve as a conduit to industry, and enhance our “Entrepreneurship as Service” model.

  GSAs are responsible for helping DARPA performers reduce business risk and key market barriers by providing commercialization support including due diligence, economic modeling, voice of the customer, regulatory approval, licensing, competitive analysis, and more.

  GSAs are assigned to specific projects based on background, areas of expertise, and project needs. Skill sets are mapped to DARPA’s six Technology Offices and the DOD’s 14 Critical Technology Areas to ensure alignment of GSAs with project and performer requirements.

  GSAs are expected to apply industry insights for immediate outcomes. With a focus on quick-contact, targeted engagements, GSAs leverage their 1) network, 2) domain expertise, and 3) specialized skills (e.g., intellectual property, patent law, microelectronics, quantum, etc.) to deliver high-impact results.

  Top GSAs exhibit resourcefulness, responsiveness, and above all a deep commitment to economic and national security. GSAs are selected based on a combination of these characteristics, availability and reliability, and passion for “Entrepreneurship as Service."

  To express your interest in serving on our team, please email us at: eei@darpa.mil.