DHS to launch Homeland Security Startup Studio in January

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is introducing a new program designed to commercialize federally funded breakthrough technologies to support homeland security missions.

The program, called the Homeland Security Startup Studio, will launch on Jan. 7. It is being done through a partnership with FedTech, a venture builder that brings together entrepreneurship and breakthrough technologies with mission-driven organizations like the Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, federal laboratories, and universities.

The Homeland Security Startup Studio is designed to accelerate and deliver commercial applications of technologies to meet homeland security needs. It will initially focus on S&T-funded technologies, with plans to later include technologies from other agencies and laboratories. The program will feature teams of entrepreneurs matched with ground-breaking technologies to assess their commercialization potential. The teams will work with lab scientists and inventors, then explore forming companies around those technologies to solve government and commercial customers’ real-world problems.

“The goals of the Homeland Security Startup Studio are to build the foundational entrepreneurial knowledge and skillsets for teams to quickly assess the potential for DHS and commercial use cases and to build startups and spin-off companies quickly so they can successfully license technology and directly impact the security posture of the U.S.,” Megan Mahle, director of S&T’s Office of Industry Partnerships, said. “This effort complements ongoing research and development programs by focusing on commercializing existing technologies that have potential homeland security applications.”

The Jan. 7 launch event, which is open to the public, will feature a DHS keynote speaker, fireside chats, and a venture spotlight company.