It’s a long road from the test site to the battlefield. A defense tech startup’s product may show early promise in the R&D phase, as users eager to test new tools provide positive feedback and a company wins funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to keep developing it.

You’re an early-stage startup and you’ve just raised your first round of funding. You’ve successfully demonstrated to investors that you have a great idea, you’ve had the lived experience to understand the market, you’ve won over a few early customers, and you’re the team to do it.