Transitioning Critical Technologies to the Frontlines
The Warfighting Integration Network (WIN) connects America’s brightest minds from academia and industry with the Department of War to solve our nation’s most critical security challenges.
Providing expert guidance in the federal contracting ecosystem:
Accelerate the transition of dual-use technology from concept to the battlefield by connecting innovators with the funding, coaching, and acquisition pathways they need to succeed.
Powered by Parallax Advanced Research, Vertx Partners, and the Department of War, WIN is the definitive gravity assist for defense technology transition.
Innovation is a survival requirement in defense. Whether you’re a startup founder, a university researcher, or are defining the mission, WIN eliminates the friction between a great idea and an operational asset.
Clearing the Acquisition Pathway
WIN cuts through the noise to surface the sharpest innovations and connect them to mission-critical needs at the right moment.
Our experts have walked this path from both sides. Whether you're early in the lab or closing in on a Program of Record, WIN meets you where you are and moves you forward.
Identify the Entry Point
We map your technology against active defense needs, current funding priorities, and viable transition opportunities. You know exactly where you stand and where to move next.
Know Before You Engage
WIN cuts through acquisition complexity. We define funding mechanisms, contract vehicles, and engagement routes, then sharpen your positioning and messaging so federal and industry partners respond.
Get in the Room
Through targeted outreach, curated events, and an established navigator network, WIN teaches you how to identify the decision-makers who can advance your tech.
Accelerate National Readiness
WIN helps you evolve your preparation, partnerships, and acquisition alignment into operational deployment. This is where your concept becomes a fielded capability for the warfighter.
Building the future arsenal
See the researchers and innovators who are delivering when they’re needed most.
Regional Action.
National Impact.
WIN serves the entire nation while simultaneously providing state-specific offerings. Select your state to explore how WIN is making an impact.
Upcoming events
WIN hosts events that connect industry, academia, and government around the challenges shaping the future fight. Join us in person or online for discussions, networking, and collaborative sessions built to move promising ideas closer to real-world impact.
WIN serves as the primary connective tissue between America’s brightest innovators and the Department of War (DoW). It is a high-performance network dedicated to bringing clarity and reach to national security innovation by accelerating the transition of mission-driven capabilities from discovery to deployment.
WIN is a program funded by the Department of War under the Academic Partnership Engagement Experiment (APEX). It is executed through a collaborative partnership between Parallax Advanced Research and Vertx Partners.
No. The WIN program provides no-cost resources to academic researchers and industry innovators. The goal is to lower the barrier to entry for promising dual-use technology development.
WIN helps startups outrun the Valley of Death, the gap between research and operational relevance, by providing a strategic roadmap to non-dilutive funding and warm introductions to mission owners. The WIN team provides expert guidance through the complex proposal labyrinth for multiple contract vehicles, including SBIR, STTR, OTAs, BAAs, etc.
No, WIN does not write proposals. Instead, we provide concierge-level one-on-one coaching, review your proposals, and provide structured feedback to raise your success rate while mitigating wasted effort.
WIN explains complex acquisition pathways and advises companies on which stakeholders to engage. We also share WIN cohort success stories and guides.
WIN matches your cutting-edge research with real-world Department of War problems. By identifying dual-use pathways, WIN helps you turn institutional prestige into national security impact, validating technologies with both commercial and military utility.
WIN acts as a "matchmaker," connecting academic researchers with small businesses to form teams for STTR solicitations. To date, WIN has engaged over 400 universities across all 50 states.
WIN acts as a curator for the military, vetting companies and researchers for technical maturity before they reach a government desk. This ensures that government officials receive a curated list of high-quality innovators capable of immediately addressing mission-critical gaps.
These are the warfighters on the front lines. Every partnership WIN facilitates must eventually tie back to providing these individuals with the technology they need to succeed and survive in the field.
WIN uses a five-step framework to move technology from discovery to deployment:
Assess the Fit: Identifying alignment with defense needs.
Clarify the Path: Demystifying acquisition and funding pathways.
Build Readiness: Refining messaging and managing expectations.Make Connections: Facilitating targeted introductions to decision-makers.
Support Transition: Final steps toward funding and frontline deployment.
Yes. While WIN has formal, funded presences in select states, the National Network Access serves as a catch-all for innovators across the entire country. Any U.S.-based company with a solution for the Department of War is encouraged to join the cohort.
No. WIN only works with U.S. innovators and researchers.
No. WIN guides you on securing non-dilutive funding through various contract vehicles. We do not fund your research or innovation directly.
