FORGE AWARDS
20 selected startups will be in the room with 40+ investors focused on national resilience.
20
Startups
40+
Investors
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Resilience Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Prosperity Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Security Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Infrastructure Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Supply Chain Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Energy Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Manufacturing Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Defense Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Logistics Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Innovation Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
A VC in DC Event Series: Forge
Capital for the Future Builders
Connecting funders and founders building dual-use technology and critical infrastructure — from supply chains and manufacturing to energy and national resilience.
Startups Apply
FORGE 2026
October 28 · National Landing
A two-part summit convening founders and investors to accelerate America's national resilience.
FORGE AFTER PARTY
An evening honoring the builders strengthening America's resilience.
150+
startups, investors, and key ecosytem leaders
Questions? Contact
partners@vcindc.com
What is Forge
Where capital meets the companies the country depends on.
FORGE is a year-round event series connecting investors, founders, and strategic partners building the companies that strengthen national resilience — across manufacturing, supply chains, energy, infrastructure, and dual-use technology.
Through curated dinners, pitch sessions, and live capital-matching events in DC, Austin, New York, and markets nationwide, FORGE moves capital to the builders solving problems the country can't afford to ignore.
Produced by VC in DC — the Mid-Atlantic's largest venture community — FORGE builds on six years of connecting startups and investors across the region, now expanded to meet the national moment.
Why FORGE
Why This Matters Now
Capital Meets the Mission
The companies building essential domestic capacity need more than a pitch competition. FORGE creates direct, curated pathways between founders and funders.
Multi-Market, Year-Round
Not a single conference. FORGE runs events across DC, Austin, New York, and other key markets — meeting founders and investors where they already are.
Real-Time Capital Matching
Where appropriate, FORGE connects live applications with capital on the spot — compressing the timeline from introduction to investment.
2026 Programming
The Calendar
VC in DC @ Tectonic
3.11.2026 | Austin, TX
Come find us or reach out
VC in DC @ New York Tech Week
6.1.2026 | New York, NY
VC in DC–hosted event
vcIQ - FORGE
6.4.2026 | National Landing, VA
VC in DC–hosted event for founders
Details TBA
FORGE 2026
10.28.2026 | National Landing, VA
The flagship gathering — recognizing and connecting the standout companies building critical capacity
Apply
FORGE Dinners
Year Round | DC Region & Beyond
Intimate, curated gatherings for investors and founders throughout the year
Who It's For
Who Should Be in the Room
Founders
Building dual-use, infrastructure, manufacturing, logistics, energy, or defense-adjacent companies at the pre-seed through Series A stage.
Apply as a Founder
Investors
VCs, family offices, and strategic capital deploying into resilience, national security, and critical domestic capacity.
Strategic Partners
Corporates, government entities, and ecosystem builders working to strengthen domestic innovation pipelines.
Become a Partner
Past Investors in Attendance
Capital in the Room
AIN Ventures
Airbus Ventures
America's Frontier Fund
B Ventures
Booz Allen Ventures
CIRIDC Investment Partners
Dcode Capital
Defense Innovation Unit
DYNE Ventures
E2MC Ventures
FedTech
Fjond Ventures
Flagship Ventures
Godspeed Capital Management
In-Q-Tel
JHH VC
Lavrock Ventures
Leonid Capital Partners
Lockheed Martin Ventures
Mantis VC
Marlinspike
Moonshots Capital
New Vista Capital
Noblis Ventures
Nomadic Venture Partners
Origin Ventures
Paladin Capital
Plug and Play
Red Cell Partners
Ringbolt Capital
Roo Capital
RTX Ventures
Runtime Ventures
SAIC Ventures
Scout Ventures
Squadra Ventures
SRI Ventures
Starburst
TEDCO
Ultratech Capital Partners
Veteran Ventures Capital
Virginia Venture Partners
Our Partners
Built With
The builders are already at work. The capital should be too.
Startups Apply