A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-led accelerator is looking to partner with industry for an effort aimed at preventing adversaries from taking the lead in technological innovation, C4ISRnet reported Tuesday.
The accelerator serves as an expanded effort under the DARPA Embedded Entrepreneurship Initiative (EEI) aimed at commercializing more than 150 research concepts within five years. DARPA previously partnered with In-Q-Tel to support investor networking activities as part of the initiative.
DARPA’s accelerator allocates over $250,000 to help research teams connect with U.S. investors for up to two years. The accelerator also enables participants to access mentors under the agency’s Transition Working Group, which includes a network of over 100 corporations and investors.
Kacy Gerst, chief of commercial strategy at DARPA, told the publication that the program serves as an “effective counter against aggressive foreign investors” that target early-stage research efforts.
DARPA has supported a range of research projects including blood sampling and COVID-19 studies during its pilot stage. To date, the agency has raised over $100 million to support 30 research groups through the program.