Dual-Use Technology

Dual-use technology is a cornerstone of modern defense innovation strategy. Rather than developing military-only solutions from scratch, the Department of Defense increasingly seeks to adapt commercial technologies for defense applications. This approach is faster, cheaper, and leverages the rapid pace of commercial R&D.

Examples of dual-use technologies include advanced batteries (electric vehicles and military ground vehicles), autonomous navigation (self-driving cars and unmanned military systems), quantum sensors (medical imaging and submarine detection), and cybersecurity tools (enterprise and national security).

For startups, the dual-use model is powerful because it allows you to pursue both commercial revenue and government contracts simultaneously. Government contracts provide stable, predictable revenue while commercial sales drive scale. SBIR Phase III explicitly supports this dual-market approach.

Matter Labs specializes in identifying startups with dual-use potential and connecting them with the right government partners. Through FATHOMWERX and Navy partnerships, we help companies demonstrate that their commercial technology can meet defense requirements.