The New Dual-Use Playbook

The dual-use playbook is being rewritten. The old model of building commercially first and later entering defense is breaking down. Defense is no longer slow or last resort, with global spending exceeding $2.7 trillion in 2025 and urgent procurement accelerating across governments. The model has flipped: sovereign defense contracts are now the strongest validation signal for startups, de-risking technology. Defense-first has become the new dominant strategy for deep-tech founders and investors globally.