This two-part event will feature a live pitch competition with 10 promising 5G-enabled startups competing for $200,000 in prizes and a series of keynote presentations outlining DOD's strategy around 5G and current partnerships.

On the heels of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) focus on substantial investment in 5G technology, the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) Starts program will host a virtual NSIN Starts presents: Navy & Marine Corps 5G pitch day on October 27. The two-part event will feature a live pitch competition with 10 promising 5G-enabled startup companies competing for $200,000 in prizes plus a series of keynote presentations and panel sessions outlining DoD’s strategy around 5G and current partnerships.

This Navy & Marine Corps 5G pitch event will provide 5G startups access to a specific area of defense interests. The event will feature Navy and DoD leadership to provide insights into the military’s strategy for 5G deployment and explain how commercial/defense collaborations will unlock future capabilities in Smart Cities, IoT, and Connected Vehicles, among many other areas. The 10 finalists, selected from a pool of more than 45 applicants, will compete on October 27 for four prizes of $50,000 each.

A panel of strategic advisors from the U.S. Marine Corps, Qualcomm Ventures, and Verizon Ventures will moderate the pitches and facilitate valuable Q&A with the following finalist companies:

“This NSIN Starts event will provide a critical platform for the advancement of 5G technology and the many applications it enables,” said Jesse Gipe, NSIN Pacific South Regional Director. “The DoD has identified 5G as one of its top technological priority areas and, as a result, it is investing hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire and develop capabilities. This pitch event will not only open the door for 5G-enabled startup companies to participate in an area of emphasis for the DoD but will also pave the way for the creation and participation of future startups.”

In addition to the prizes, the 10 finalist companies will pitch their ideas to a panel of senior venture capitalists and vie for the opportunity to pilot their technology solutions with the Marine Corps at MCAS Miramar’s 5G Living Lab deployed in partnership with Verizon. The morning session will feature distinguished speakers including Congressman Scott Peters, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts, Andrés Irlando Verizon Federal President and other DoD, and corporate leaders.

Navy & Marine Corps 5G Pitch Day is presented by NSIN, in partnership with NavalX SoCal Tech Bridge and the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific).

About NSIN

The NSIN mission is to “build networks of innovators that generate new solutions to national security problems.” NSIN is headquartered in Arlington, VA, and has regional offices in 11 commercial innovation hubs throughout the United States. Through its headquarters, regional hubs, and embedded university partnerships, NSIN builds a national network of innovators and delivers programming that solves real-world, DoD problems through collaborative partnerships with non-traditional problem-solvers within the academic and early-stage venture communities.