Navy Chief Technology Officer Justin Fanelli is shifting strategy, partnering with venture capitalists instead of funding early-stage research directly. The approach signals where the military sees future innovation opportunities.
Fanelli outlined the Navy's evolving investment model during discussions with founders and investors. Rather than backing nascent projects internally, the CTO's office now co-invests alongside VCs in promising defense technologies.
Recent acquisitions demonstrate the Navy's spending priorities. A $562 million autonomous refueling deal highlights investment in unmanned systems. The service has also expanded its technology wish list to include AI capabilities and quantum computing applications.
The co-investment strategy allows the Navy to leverage private sector expertise while maintaining strategic influence over critical defense technologies. By partnering with established venture firms, the service gains access to deal flow and industry networks without duplicating VC infrastructure.
Fanelli's pitch to investors emphasizes alignment: founders building AI, autonomy, and quantum solutions have a ready customer in the Navy. The arrangement could accelerate development timelines while reducing government procurement burden.
California has passed new legislation that enforces stricter penalties for social media influencers who fail to disclose paid political content. The law strengthens existing disclosure requirements and adds enforcement mechanisms.
Winamp, the iconic media player that dominated the early 2000s, is making a comeback in 2027 with a subscription-based streaming model to compete in today's music market.
Several state-level AI chatbot safety bills contain language that could allow tech companies to evade regulations, according to policy analysts and lawmakers.