Space & Defense Accelerator | Techstars

Where domain expertise meets founders solving hard problems in complex industries.
Space and defense are entering an era of real-world deployment, as autonomy, advanced hardware, and AI mature to the point where they can be fielded in environments that allow no margin for failure. We invest in the hardware, software, subsystems, and industrial intelligence that aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing can actually deploy. Our areas of highest interest are hardware and the control layer for autonomy. In hardware, we focus on robotics and physical AI across dual-use, space, and manufacturing sectors: highly dexterous, vision-guided assembly for reshoring manufacturing, autonomous electronic-warfare countermeasure robots for tactical defense, and in-orbit robotic servicing and manufacturing for the expanding space economy. We look for advantages that cannot be shortcut, built on deep technical credibility and a real understanding of how products are engineered and certified at scale. We are equally interested in adaptive software layers that can execute complex, unstructured manipulation tasks in harsh or denied environments. We focus on autonomy in power grids, water utilities, ports, and defense networks, where software runs critical physical systems. We back founders who know those environments firsthand.
Many of our other accelerators also invest in companies in this vertical, so we encourage founders to explore every program that fits their stage and location.
We are all about the founders. As the original Techstars program that helped spark a global network in 2… Read more
Los Angeles, California
Focused on the next generation of space technology companies and technologies that can be applied commer… Read more
How we evaluate Space & Defense companies and where the durable advantage comes from.
Satellites and rideshare slots booked years out.
Physical antenna networks across continents.
ITAR / Export controls
Compliance posture limits competitor entry.
The people leading Techstars’ work in Space & Defense.
Meet the Techstars founders shaping the future of Space & Defense.
Techstars Accelerators give early-stage startups three months of intensive, mentorship-driven support, connecting you with the specialized expertise, global community, and capital you need to grow faster.