DARPA "Venture Horizons" Request for Information

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for a new partnering initiative called DARPA Venture Horizons. Managed by DARPA’s Commercial Strategy Team, the program seeks to connect investors providing non-adversarial capital with DARPA Program Managers and Research & Development performers. The goal is to accelerate and amplify the commercial impact of DARPA’s breakthrough technologies. Through Venture Horizons, participating investors will gain access to select DARPA portfolios and subject matter experts spanning six technical offices: the Strategic Technology Office (STO), Tactical Technology Office (TTO), Multi X Office (MXO), Defense Sciences Office (DSO), Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO), and Biological Technologies Office (BTO). Together, these offices oversee more than 250 research and development programs managed by approximately 100 Program Managers. This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes to recruit potential investment partners and does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals. Responses are not considered official offers, and DARPA General Service Agreement (GSA) and Senior Commercial Advisor (SCA) team members may be ineligible to participate. Interested parties can access and submit responses to the RFI via the official listing on SAM.gov.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Commercial Strategy has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for "DARPA Venture Horizons." This initiative aims to connect top-tier investors—such as family offices, venture capital firms, angel investors, and private equity firms—with DARPA program managers, research performers, and technical experts. The goal is to foster private investment that can productize, scale, and transition DARPA-funded breakthrough technologies into military, commercial, or dual-use markets. To participate, selected investors must have a proven track record of commercializing technology and be willing to self-certify that their investments do not utilize adversarial capital. No government funding or expense reimbursement will be provided to participants. The RFI seeks responses aligned with DARPA’s six technical offices: the Multi X Office (MXO), Strategic Technology Office (STO), Tactical Technology Office (TTO), Defense Sciences Office (DSO), Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO), and Biological Technologies Office (BTO). Submissions must include a completed RFI Response Spreadsheet (covering investment goals, domain expertise, commitment to service, and unique capabilities) and a presentation of organizational capabilities. Responses are limited to 25 pages, must be unclassified, and must be emailed to DARPAVentureHorizons@darpa.mil by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on October 9, 2026. Prior respondents must submit a new, complete response to be considered.

This document is a Request for Information (RFI) response spreadsheet for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Venture Horizons program, designed to gather information on commercial investment strategies. The questionnaire collects comprehensive details from investment firms and venture capital organizations to assess their alignment with DARPA’s mission of commercializing cutting-edge technologies. The spreadsheet is structured into ten distinct sections targeting key organizational and operational metrics: - **Organizational & Contact Information:** Collects basic administrative details, including CAGE codes, SCIF IDs, and points of contact. - **DARPA Interest & Technical Alignment:** Asks respondents to rank their preferences and experience levels across DARPA’s six Technical Offices. - **Investment Goals & Capital Integrity:** Requires firms to self-certify that they invest using non-adversarial capital, do not have adversarial partners, and are willing to set aside capital for DARPA-derived technologies. - **History, Domain Expertise, & Track Record:** Inquires about past performance, including previous investments in DARPA performers, exits in defense and industrial tech, and dual-use market experience. - **Service Commitment & Unique Capabilities:** Assesses the firm's willingness to provide mentorship, attend in-person agency events, and leverage staff with active security clearances or operational expertise. - **Fund Dynamics & Deal Flow:** Collects metrics on total assets under management (AUM), fund size, expected duration, close dates, annual deal flow volume, and syndication rates. - **Investor & Security Verification:** Evaluates the firm's willingness to provide investor lists and employee I-9 information to verify capital sources and personnel.