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Over the last 18 months, we have been tracking a growing community of venture capital firms committed to National Security Investment for American Competitiveness (including Schmidt Futures, America’s Frontier Fund, and Thomas Tull). Marc Andreesen’s VC firm – a16z – describes the same movement as “American Dynamism”. According to the a16z partners – Katherine Boyle and David Ulevitch – who run the eponymous practice, it encompasses more than the usual industry sector synonymous with the defense industrial base and national security.
The first-ever American Dynamism Summit brought together industry experts and government officials who are determined to solve tough problems and build a better future.
— a16z (@a16z) February 7, 2023
They shared their thoughts in this series of videos 🧵👇 https://t.co/BQaQjPA92W
Boyle and Ulevitch offered this working definition at the 2022 American Dynamism Summit in November of last year:
“We are often asked what American dynamism means. The simplest explanation is that it’s a movement of Builders – the belief that the values and beliefs this country was founded upon are worth defending and fighting for. But it’s also a feeling it’s a feeling of growth, prosperity, movement, and opportunity. That may sound vague, but American Dynamism is actually very specific. When introducing our practice, Catherine and I often say we’re investing in the core components that underpin the American dream and make it more real. That includes housing transportation, education, public safety, logistics, defense, and aerospace – massive industries that support America and the lives of Americans – but which have yet to be dramatically improved by advanced software and technology.” (1)
Like recent announcements from Tull and AFF, this month the a16z American Dynamism practice announced a major investment commitment. See the announcement in its entirety below.
Read more about @a16z’s American Dynamism practice and commitment.https://t.co/IFt1DHLOAT
— Katherine Boyle (@KTmBoyle) May 9, 2023
We formalized our American Dynamism practice a little more than a year ago to galvanize support for solving our country’s most vexing challenges with an entrepreneurial and technology-first approach. We’ve been blown away at how this movement has captured the minds of entrepreneurs, policymakers, and investors across the country and throughout the world.
So first, thank you. While we’ve long invested in companies solving hard problems, we want to make clear — now more than ever — that Dynamism is more than a movement for us: we’ve already put hundreds of millions of dollars to work in supporting the builders making it happen. Whether that’s through companies reshoring U.S. manufacturing, building new ways to enable homeownership, improving the country’s public safety and global defense, or delivering reliable and cleaner energy, we’re seeing a growing class of entrepreneurs working toward solving the hardest problems. And these entrepreneurs are not just in Silicon Valley — they’re all over the country, in Georgia, Texas, and Pennsylvania.
Over the past decade, SpaceX has reimagined the capabilities of our space industry and taken massive leaps in innovation and progress; Anduril has used pioneering technologies to secure our homeland and protect our men and women in uniform both at home and abroad; and Propel has simplified how millions of Americans who rely on government assistance access their benefits. These companies and others make it clear: America’s continued real-world leadership leans on the entrepreneurial spirit of American Dynamism builders.
With this in mind, today we’re proud to share that we’re dedicating $500 million toward the early-stage companies building for American Dynamism. We’re eager to make bold bets on bold entrepreneurs at all stages of the building process. And as these companies grow and make their dent in the world, we’ll continue to invest in and support their journey through our $5 billion growth fund.
American Dynamism is not a “sector.” It doesn’t fit neatly into one vertical or portfolio. It is a philosophy that encompasses nearly every aspect of American life and leadership. More than that, American Dynamism is the feeling of growth, movement, momentum, and opportunity that makes America the country people want to be from, to immigrate to, and to build a life, career, or company in. As such, our commitment is not relegated to one fund or practice within the firm. We support and are in search of companies doing anything that we believe will help our country and our people move forward.
Let’s build!
The American Dynamism practice invests in founders and companies that support the national interest, including but not limited to aerospace, defense, public safety, education, housing, supply chain, industrials, and manufacturing. We believe that mission-driven and civic-minded founders often build companies that transcend verticals and business models in their quest to solve important national problems. These companies view government as a customer, competitor or key stakeholder—and the success of these companies supports the flourishing of all Americans. Dynamic companies exist in all 50 states, as there is no center of gravity for solving America’s biggest problems. (2)
Companies kickstarting American renewal
Affordable childcare. Reusable rockets. Unsnarled supply chains. Sustainable farming. Clean energy. Accessible housing. The American Dynamism 50 companies…are tackling some of the nation’s stickiest, most pressing challenges — and pioneering new technologies in the process. Their founders hail from government offices, classrooms, farmland, factories, research labs, and space stations. And they chose to establish their businesses in every corner of the country, from Carson City, Nevada to Cambridge, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh to Atlanta. Their backstories are as varied as their visions. One thing unites them: A quest to take on our country’s most pressing issues to support the national interest. It’s a pursuit we refer to as American Dynamism.
With this project, we aim to spotlight the ingenuity of 50 tech companies that embody the spirit of American Dynamism. We considered a variety of factors in its compilation, including mission, momentum, job creation, funding, and more. Some of the founders featured partner with the government, some aim to improve — or supersede — legacy institutions and many are public servants-turned-entrepreneurs themselves (more on that below). Ultimately, we hope the ambitions of the 50 companies [found at the link below]spark conversation and spur progress: (3)https://oodaloop.com/ooda-original/2023/02/03/the-dods-office-of-strategic-capital-launches-small-business-initiative-americas-frontier-fund-forms-strategic-innovation-group/
https://oodaloop.com/archive/2022/12/05/venture-capital-national-security-investment-for-american-competitiveness-new-mexicos-100m-pledge-to-affs-frontier-fund-i/
https://oodaloop.com/archive/2023/02/20/thomas-tull-chairs-the-5-billion-us-innovative-technology-fund-shield-ai-among-early-investments/
https://oodaloop.com/archive/2022/11/21/another-seminal-call-to-action-strengthening-innovation-and-protecting-the-u-s-technological-advantage/
https://oodaloop.com/archive/2022/09/16/a-proactive-national-technology-strategy-in-the-great-power-competition-with-china/
https://oodaloop.com/technology/2022/01/17/investing-in-american-dynamism/
About the Author
Daniel Pereira is research director at OODA. He is a foresight strategist, creative technologist, and an information communication technology (ICT) and digital media researcher with 20+ years of experience directing public/private partnerships and strategic innovation initiatives.
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence
Informing your decisions with actionable intelligence