DARPA Forward — 2026 Edition

## TEE Take

**DARPA** Forward is the agency's traveling roadshow — a regional event designed to pull in performers who would never fly to Arlington for a Proposers' Day. Denver is strategic: it puts **DARPA** in front of the Mountain West's growing defense tech and space ecosystems. The program managers who attend are actively looking for new performers, and the barrier to engagement is lower than at any **DARPA** HQ event.

Think of it as office hours for the most ambitious research funder in the world. If you've been trying to figure out how to engage **DARPA** but find the Broad Agency Announcement process impenetrable, start here.

## Insider Tip

Research which program managers are attending before you go. **DARPA** publishes the attendee list for PMs — prepare a tailored one-pager for each PM whose portfolio overlaps your technology. Cold introductions at these events convert at 3-4x the rate of emailed abstracts. Bring your CTO, not your BD lead — PMs want to talk to technologists.

## What to Expect

Two days of briefings, poster sessions, and one-on-one meetings. **DARPA** offices represented typically include DSO (Defense Sciences), I2O (Information Innovation), MTO (Microsystems Technology), and STO (Strategic Technology). Expect 500-800 attendees from startups, universities, and traditional defense contractors.

## Who Should Attend

Startups with technology that could serve national security missions — even if you've never worked with the government. University research groups seeking **DARPA** funding. Defense-curious companies in AI, robotics, biotech, semiconductors, or advanced materials. **DARPA** Forward is explicitly designed for first-time performers.