Outpost Ventures’ Deals on Deck™ Makes Waves as 300+ Defense, Investment and Technology Leaders Converge in Alexandria

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 17, 2026

Outpost Ventures’ Deals on Deck™ Makes Waves as 300+ Defense, Investment and Technology Leaders Converge in Alexandria

Nine emerging technology companies took the stage aboard an 83-foot yacht on the Old Town Alexandria waterfront for Outpost Ventures’ flagship national security innovation event

[ALEXANDRIA, VA, September 14, 2026] – Outpost Ventures announced National Energy USA as the winner of Deals on Deck™, its flagship founder showcase that brought together more than 300 leaders from across the national security, investment, and technology ecosystem in Old Town Alexandria.

Held aboard an 83-foot yacht on the Alexandria waterfront on September 14, Deals on Deck™ convened venture investors, defense primes, technology founders, government stakeholders, military leaders, consultants, and strategic partners for an afternoon focused on emerging technologies, investment, and national security innovation.

The program featured remarks from the Honorable Kathleen Hicks, former Deputy Secretary of Defense, who addressed the founders, investors, and national security leaders gathered for the event. Alyia Gaskins, Mayor of Alexandria, and Marian Marquez of the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership also delivered remarks, highlighting Alexandria’s role in bringing together government, industry, capital, and emerging technology.

Nine companies took the stage to present technologies spanning artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, communications, resilient energy, radiation detection and other critical capabilities:

Gold Standard Radiation Detection, Inc., presented by Abbie Diamantopoulos, CEO and Founder
Jaxon AI, presented by Jose Cantu, Director, Defense & Intelligence
Neural AI, presented by Charles Schoenhoeft, Founder and CEO
Rypplzz, presented by Joshua Pendrick, CEO and Co-Founder
Saltenna, presented by Dendy Young, CEO
Coridor AI, presented by Tommy McCoy, Founder
National Energy USA, presented by Dave Robau, Founder and Chief Scientist
Optica Labs, presented by Tiarne Hawkins, CEO and Co-Founder
Exyn Defense, presented by Ben Williams, CEO

Following the live pitch competition and judges’ deliberation, National Energy USA was named the 2026 Deals on Deck™ winner. The company is developing waste-powered resilient energy microgrids designed to convert waste streams into dependable, distributed energy for mission-critical environments.

As the winner, National Energy USA will receive a term sheet for a $100,000 investment from Outpost Ventures, subject to Outpost Ventures’ due diligence process, with the opportunity for up to $3 million in additional syndicated capital.

“Deals on Deck™ is not a networking event; it is a dealmaking platform built to create urgency and action,” said Dave Harden, Founder and Managing Partner of Outpost Ventures. “Within 30 days, companies from this event are positioned to secure investment and advance commitments tied to multimillion-dollar contracts. National Energy USA earned the win, but the real story is the velocity created when exceptional founders meet the investors, government leaders, and industry partners who can say yes.”

The pitch competition was evaluated by a panel of leaders spanning defense technology, venture capital, and innovation: Doug Jones, Defense Systems Sector Chief Technology Officer at Leidos; Michael Savarese, Executive Director, Advanced Technology Requirements & Capabilities at Raytheon; Haley Bryant, Partner at Hustle Fund; and Nehemiah Green, Managing Partner at NeuralState Ventures.

Following the founder showcase, Deals on Deck™ transitioned into a series of curated VIP meetings connecting founders directly with investors, defense and industry leaders, and government stakeholders to advance conversations initiated during the competition.

Hosted immediately following the first day of the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Deals on Deck™ brought national security leaders from across the country to the Alexandria waterfront and created a setting designed to move promising technologies beyond the pitch stage. “Where else do more than 300 leaders turn pitches into investment, partnerships, and multimillion-dollar contract opportunities, all aboard a yacht overlooking the nation’s capital?” Harden said. “Deals on Deck™ compresses months of introductions into hours. If you were not on the boat, you missed where the next deals began.”

About Outpost Ventures

Outpost Ventures invests in and accelerates emerging technologies critical to national security, resilient infrastructure, and economic competitiveness. Through Outpost Ventures, Outpost Ventures Checkmate, and ScaleWolf, the organization combines private capital, government-market expertise, and strategic industry relationships to move technologies from innovation to adoption.

With a focus on advanced energy and data infrastructure, artificial intelligence, autonomy, critical materials, and defense systems, Outpost Ventures helps companies secure investment, navigate government markets, build strategic partnerships, and compete for meaningful contracts in the United States and allied markets.

Media Contact

Deedee Yan
Director of Strategic Partnerships
Outpost Ventures
deedee@outpostventures.com
703-980-1480