We Are — The War Department's Innovation Unit

Commercial Operations Team

DIU's Commercial Operations team serves as a link between the Department of War and our capital, commercial, and academic partners. We work to connect to the best capital allocators, companies and talent to grow the greater defense industrial base.

Much of this starts with our Commercial Solutions Openings and Prize Challenges. These opportunities to companies of all sizes, including first-time and nontraditional entrants to the defense marketplace. For companies under contract, DIU offers a suite of services designed to help reduce some of the compliance, testing, and regulatory burdens that can delay adoption across the DoW.

The areas we focus:

Harness Commercial CompaniesEnsure DIU projects are built to attract the best defense and non-defense companies in the United States and Globally.

Provide Market IntelligenceMaintain relationships to the companies, universities, and capital allocators driving technology aligned to DIU's mission areas.

Accelerate AdoptionBuild services and maintain services that will enhance DIU portfolio companies ability to deliver at speed and scale

Cultivate TalentPut real-world DoW problems in the hands of the nation's brightest students to attract the best talent to National Security

Our Teams

Commercial Operations Team

DIU's Commercial Operations team mobilizes university talent, research, industry, and entrepreneurial capacity against validated national security problems for mission-ready solutions through our commercial engagement experts, our OnRamp Hubs, and Innovation with Academia (IWA) initiative.

OnRamp Hubs

Our OnRamp Hubs help advance DIU's nationwide effort to catalyze the defense technology ecosystem by providing streamlined local access for funders, founders and talent to connect with and test capabilities of interest to the DoW. Our Innovation with Academia (IWA) initiative connects real mission demand with students, faculty, researchers, labs, entrepreneurs, and partners, then helps carry the strongest work toward prototypes, transition pathways, and capability the DoW can use.

Policy Team

Our Policy team works closely with department leadership, interagency counterparts, Congress, and our business community to identify the critical friction points and recommend policy and regulatory changes that will enhance our ability to buy, tailor, and field capability.

Global Partnerships Team

Our Global Partnership team works with allies and partners across the globe to maximize strategic value such as through jointly funding projects, expand the market for the U.S. defense industrial base, and access the most cutting-edge commercial technologies.

The Commercial Operations Team

Leadership

Matthew Shortal
Principal Deputy Director and Chief Commercial Officer

Jesse Gipe
Deputy Director of Commercial Operations

Jeremy Hayes
Chief of Policy

Bryan Wilson
Director Global Partnerships

Kedar Pavgi
Deputy Director of Commercial Strategy and Operations

Submit Your Solution

The mission is urgent, and we are your pathway. Whether you're a startup with a breakthrough or a warfighter with a gap, let's deliver the overmatch our warriors deserve.

Our team is ready to work with you

View Open Solicitations

Students from the 2025 Defense Innovation Summer Fellowship - Commercialization (DISF-C) program