Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.
Host Bio Copy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.Â
Host Bio Copy
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur.Â
Please join us on Thursday, July 10th for an exclusive showcase spotlighting the next generation of founders transforming cybersecurity, defense tech, and frontier AI. This isn’t your typical pitch event—it’s a high-caliber gathering of innovators, investors, and strategic partners redefining national security, data resilience, and deep tech breakthroughs.Â
Hosted By:Â Silicon Valley Bank
What to Expect:
• 10 Game-Changing Startups in defense, dual-use tech, cyber infrastructure, and frontier AI
• A Room Full of Decision-Makers from venture capital, federal innovation programs, and enterprise buyers
• Curated Pitches & Intimate Connections designed to spark investments, pilots, and strategic partnerships
Who Should Attend:
• Founders building disruptive solutions at the intersection of AI and national resilience
• Investors looking for top-tier deep tech and defense-aligned deal flow
• Corporate & Government Leaders ready to identify the tech shaping tomorrow’s security landscape
Judges:
Andrew Ermitano -Â Deputy Chief of Space Ventures at SpaceWerx
Meghan Moreland - Investor at Riot Ventures
Niki Pezeshki - Senior Venture Partner at Felicis Ventures
Rayfe Gaspar-Asaoka - Partner at Geodesic Capital
Wes Nichols - Partner at March Capital
Format:
Each company will have 3 minutes to pitch and 2 minutes for live Q&A. Expect tight, high-impact storytelling and real-time insight from expert judges.
10 Curated Startup Pitches:
SkyFi - SkyFi delivers on-demand global satellite imagery and analytics to enterprise and government customers through scalable platforms; it reduces data access times from days to minutes.Â
Presenter: Kate Van Dam; Head of Strategic Markets
The Adversarial Company - AI-driven platform that creates adaptive camouflage on demand to hide valuable assets from both human observers and advanced machine-vision systems.
Presenter:Â Patrick Amadon; Founder
VBX Aerospace - VBX has built the first fully automated end-to end design platform for aerospace hardware, creating ready-to-manufacture solutions in days, ranging from satellite antennas to propulsion systems.
Presenter:Â Dr. Alexander Ryan; Founder
ATRX Incorporated - ATRX is powering high-speed drones and space planes that can take off and land from any runway in the world.
Presenter:Â Felix Bustos III; Co-Founder & CEO
Harmonic Security - Harmonic Security lets your teams adopt AI tools safely by protecting sensitive data in real time with minimal effort.
Presenter:Â Alastair Paterson; Co-Founder & CEO
SMACK - Smack, the AI stack for decision dominance.
Presenter:Â Andy Markoff; Co-Found & CEO
Lola Vision Systems - Lola Vision Systems designs mission-specific AI hardware and security chiplets that power autonomous systems for defense, aerospace, and critical infrastructure.
Presenter:Â Tayo Adesanya; Co-Founder
Argo Space: Argo is creating multi-modal logistics for space, to move beyond today’s launch-centric paradigm. We will decouple transport through space from transport to space, making space transportation and mobility abundant and affordable by extending reusability into orbit.
Presenter:Â Robert Carlisle; Co-Founder
Qolab: At Qolab, we focus on delivering high-quality qubits with best in class coherence and reliability. Our innovative approach leverages the latest semiconductor fabrication methods to make qubits, to set a new standard for the future of quantum computation.
Presenter:Â Gregory Ho
RapidFort:Â RapidFort removes 95% of software vulnerabilities from modern software automatically.
Presenter:Â Daniela Moroz
As a Director at Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), Ronnie Harris II leads the Los Angeles-based Start-up Banking Team, focusing on empowering start-ups with business development support, access to capital, and community building in the innovation economy.Â
Â
He's also the Founder/CEO of Thoreau Giving, a non-profit committed to providing affordable housing for at-risk youth and single mothers, aiming to foster sustainable change and security for vulnerable communities.
Brad Sigal is a Relationship Manager at SVB who focuses on the bank's early-stage Frontier and Climate Tech portfolio in Southern California. Brad provides companies founder-friendly banking, access to the SVB startup ecosystem, and dedicated service to their business.
Â
Outside of work Brad likes to golf, snowboard, and attend concerts.
Cake is an easy-to-use equity management platform, built for scaling startups. Cake lets you set up your cap table quickly, keep your team motivated in real time, and offers straightforward pricing with hands-on support whenever you need it. They support over 20,000 startups globally and work with leading startup partners across VC, Accounting, HR, and Legal.Â
Best of all, it’s free to sign up and get started. To unlock 20% off for one year on any paid plan, reach out to Garrison Gowens atÂ
Â
Orrick is a tech-focused law firm passionate about helping entrepreneurs, innovators and investors push boundaries. Through our extensive client portfolio, deal volume, and relationships in the ecosystem, we provide commercial insight to each client’s strategy. From financing to protecting IP to retaining talent to advocating for innovation-friendly public policy, we offer a holistic solution across the tech & venture lifecycle.
All non-SVB named companies listed are independent third parties and are not affiliated with Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company.
To manage your email preferences, visit the Manage Email Preferences page. If you no longer wish to receive emails from us, click unsubscribe here or you can write to us at 239 Fayetteville St Raleigh, NC 27601.
Â
Visit our Privacy Statement for information about our privacy practices. If you have any questions or concerns about our Privacy Statement, please contact us by email: privacyquestions@firstcitizens.com.
Â
Â
Banking, lending, and trust products or services are offered by Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. Accounts are subject to credit approval. Restrictions and limitations may apply. Â
Â
©2025 First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. All rights reserved. Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company. Member FDIC.
