VEDDER Biotechnology Accelerator Opens Applications for Inaugural Cohort

U.S. Army-backed initiative seeks U.S. biotechnology innovators developing technologies with potential defense and national-security applications

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Defense Innovation Networking Group (D!NG) today announced that the submission window is officially open for the inaugural cohort of the Validation of Emerging Defense & Detection Equipment for Readiness (VEDDER) Biotechnology  Accelerator, a national initiative connecting biotechnology innovation with defense and national-security missions.

Selected by the U.S. Army to establish and operate VEDDER, D!NG received an $8 million first-year award, with four option years valued at a total of $95 million and a contract production ceiling of up to $500 million.

The accelerator is seeking U.S. biotechnology startups and other nontraditional innovators developing technologies with potential applications in biological threat detection, protection, response and defense readiness. The specific topics are: Rapid Small-Molecule Design for CBRN Medical Countermeasures and Low-SWaP Distributed Sensing with On-Device Edge AI.

For Cohort 1, applicants developing solutions in either Small-Molecule Drug Discovery or Distributed Sensing are invited to submit information about their technology, stage of development, potential defense applications, and technical or commercialization needs. Submissions are open through October 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Final eligibility and submission requirements are available through the official application process.

Biotechnology at Mission Speed

VEDDER will help biotechnology startups better understand government requirements, mature and validate promising technologies, access specialized resources and navigate the transition from commercial innovation to potential defense applications.

"America does not have an innovation problem. We have a translation problem–getting extraordinary technologies from talented companies into the hands of the people who need them," said Heath Murray, Chairman of the Board of D!NG. "VEDDER gives us an opportunity to build a faster, more connected pathway between biotechnology innovators and the national-security mission."

Greg Sapp, D!NG Board Member and VEDDER architect, said the accelerator is designed to make the Department of War (DoW) more accessible to emerging biotechnology companies.

"DoW should be able to reach the best American biotechnology innovation wherever it is being developed, and innovators should have a clearer path to understand and address national-security problems," Sapp said. "VEDDER gives us the opportunity to connect mission, technology, capital, and execution so promising capabilities can move faster."

Connecting Commercial Innovation to National Security

VEDDER is designed to address barriers biotechnology companies face when entering government markets by connecting participants with a networked ecosystem of resources, including technical validation, contracting and acquisition support, shared business services, legal support, mentorship, capital networks and strategic partnerships.

Interested companies can learn more and submit for Cohort 1 at www.dingusa.org/go/press-release-cohort1

What They're Saying

Policymakers

"I am proud to have supported this Hoosier group's application, and I am pleased they were selected and will play a key role in biotech innovation for our national security. This is another example of Indiana's leadership in the biotech industry."

• U.S. Sen. Todd Young, Indiana  

"I applaud the Defense Innovation Networking Group for its leadership in advancing the VEDDER Biotechnology Accelerator and for helping position Ohio at the forefront of biotechnology, biodefense, and national security innovation. This initiative is an important opportunity to strengthen America's defense industrial base while building on Ohio's growing role in defense, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technology. I'm proud to support D!NG's work and excited to see the impact VEDDER can have for Ohio and the nation."

• State Representative Ty Mathews | 83^rd Ohio House District

Life Sciences Community

"Biotechnology companies are developing capabilities with implications that extend well beyond traditional commercial markets. VEDDER can give innovators a clearer path to understand national-security focus areas, connect with new partners and access resources that can help promising technologies advance. Indiana's deep life-sciences ecosystem makes our state an important part of that national conversation."

• Kristin Jones, President and CEO, Indiana Life Sciences Association

Academia

"Some of the most important advances in biotechnology happen when promising science is given a clear pathway from the laboratory to real-world application. The VEDDER Biotechnology Accelerator can help create that pathway by bringing together innovators, technical expertise and mission-driven resources to advance technologies with the potential to strengthen human health, resilience and national security."

• Dr. Aleksandra Stankovic, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital

"Turning scientific innovation into capabilities that can address national-security challenges requires more than great research. Innovators also need access to advanced computing, secure research environments, technical expertise and pathways that allow them to work effectively with government. VEDDER can help bring those pieces together, connecting biotechnology innovators across the country with the infrastructure and resources needed to advance promising dual-use technologies toward real-world applications."

• Dr. Erik Deumens, Senior Director of Research Computing, University of Florida Information Technology

"Breakthrough biotechnology innovations can improve lives, strengthen our economy and enhance national security. VEDDER has the potential to help innovators accelerate the path from discovery to deployment by connecting them with the expertise, resources and partnerships needed to turn promising ideas into real-world solutions. We are proud to support an initiative that advances both scientific innovation and national readiness."

• Lucy Flesch, Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science, Purdue University

"Some of the most promising biotechnology breakthroughs begin with researchers and entrepreneurs who see an entirely new way to solve a difficult problem. Turning those ideas into companies, and ultimately into capabilities that can serve important national-security needs, requires the right connections, resources, and pathways to market. VEDDER can help create those pathways, giving emerging companies greater access to the expertise, partners, and government opportunities they need to move promising innovations from idea to impact." 

• Julie Heath, Associate Vice President, IU Innovates, Indiana University

Startup Community

"Some of the most consequential advances in biotechnology begin with early-stage companies tackling complex scientific challenges. Access to specialized laboratory facilities, capital, technical expertise, and industry partnerships can make the difference between a promising technology that stalls and one that reaches the market. The VEDDER Biotechnology Accelerator creates an opportunity to connect those innovators with the expertise, resources, and mission-driven partnerships needed to turn promising technologies into meaningful capabilities for our national security."

• John Flavin, Founder and CEO of Portal Innovations

"Startups are built to move fast, but breaking into defense can be difficult—especially for biotechnology companies like MN8 that operate at the intersection of human performance, health and national security. VEDDER can give innovators a clearer path to understand Army needs, validate their technologies and turn commercial innovation into capabilities that strengthen warfighter readiness and performance."

• Stephen Schweickart, Co-founder, MN8

About VEDDER: The VEDDER Biotechnology Accelerator is a national biotechnology accelerator designed to connect innovative U.S. companies with resources, expertise, capital and government pathways supporting potential national-security applications. VEDDER stands for Validation of Emerging Defense & Detection Equipment for Readiness.

About D!NG: The Defense Innovation Networking Group (D!NG) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on strengthening the defense innovation ecosystem through collaboration, education and connections among industry, academia and government. www.DINGUSA.org The Defense Innovation Networking Group (D!NG) is a U.S. Government contractor and is not a government agency.

Media Contact
D!NG Communications Lead
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SOURCE Defense Innovation Networking Group (D!NG)