Startup Arkenstone Defense has launched with $35 million in seed funding to help commercial technology companies navigate the requirements of entering the US federal market.
The company aims to provide easier access to operational infrastructure required to compete for and deliver federal contracts. Its platform combines workforce operations, human resources, payroll, insurance, personnel security, contracting support, compliance, and accreditation.
This model, the firm said, allows companies to establish the systems required for government work without building a separate back office from scratch.
“Customers shouldn’t have to become experts in government operations just to sell transformative technology,” Arkenstone CEO Peter Dixon said. “They should be focused on building products that strengthen national security.”
More than two dozen defense technology companies already use Arkenstone’s platform, according to the firm.
US Opens Paths Into the Defense Market
Arkenstone’s launch comes as the US government continues to pursue new ways of bringing commercial technology companies and smaller suppliers into defense programs.
In February, the US Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center introduced a new procurement pathway to speed up the delivery of emerging technologies to installations and mission support units. This initiative creates a competitive mechanism for acquiring commercial products and services to address operational needs, close capability gaps, and introduce new capabilities.
In 2025, the Department of Defense started working to scale Commercial Solutions Openings and Other Transaction authority across a broader range of users as part of software acquisition reforms intended to speed the adoption of commercial technology.
The same year, the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital opened its first equipment financing program for companies working across critical technology sectors, attracting more than 200 applications seeking a combined $8.9 billion.
The program was designed to provide financing for manufacturing equipment in areas including microelectronics, advanced materials, and space technology.
