In today’s world, new technologies are critical to maintaining military and defensive advantage. Although, the most innovative technologies on the market are often powered by startups and non-traditional vendors, who typically struggle to successfully navigate collaborations with large defence organisations. The first AWS defence programme looked to fill that gap, by accelerating dual-use, cloud based solutions from EMEA and helping them sell into the UK MOD and wider defence market through an intensive technical, commercial and business support programme.
PUBLIC worked alongside UK and US personnel from AWS on their first ever defence accelerator, that included an 8-month programme cycle and four phases: discovery and design, scouting and selection, programme delivery and final Demo Day.
Our multi-disciplinary team led a market and customer research to inform a rapid design process, resulting in a challenge programme model with four focus areas: data optimisation, defensive cyber, space exploitation, and sustainability in defence.
PUBLIC was then responsible for outreach to potential startup applicants, including external communications, recruitment events, and direct outreach to startups and ecosystem partners meeting the four challenges. Our campaign generated high levels of engagement with 800 global startups, providing a wide view of cutting-edge, cloud based technology solutions with powerful defence applications. This resulted in applications from 100+ companies. From this group, PUBLIC utilised proprietary due diligence methodology to curate a final list of 20 high quality startups to be down-selected by AWS.
The 10 selected startups received technical, business, and go-to-market mentorship from AWS and PUBLIC experts, as well as AWS Promotional Credits, and opportunities to connect with potential customers and partners. PUBLIC co-managed the design and delivery of the 4-week-long accelerator curriculum, including onboarding startup team members and managing a cadre of high profile guest speakers and mentors, such as senior actors from MOD, leading defence SMEs and established primes.
The high quality programmes of activities orchestrated by PUBLIC and AWS achieved an average satisfaction score of 4.4 and 4.9 out of 5 for sessions and speakers, and wide engagement from the global defence community. In a little over six months since the programme, at least two of the participating startups have led successful raises, and at least four have won new business within defence.
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The GovTech-Program Denmark was established to foster even stronger collaboration between public authorities and tech companies with innovative solutions to public sector challenges.
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