Updated: Sep 30, 2026 at 4:28 AM PT # Defense and govtech events for founders at LA Tech Week 2026 > LA Tech Week 2026 has 22 defense and govtech events for founders from Monday, Oct 12 to Friday, Oct 16, and all 22 require an application, so get those in before you plan your week. Chancity tracks 800 LA Tech Week events (updated Sep 30, 2026); this page lists 22. Sources: the official Tech Week calendar (https://www.tech-week.com/calendar/la) and each event's own page. ## At a glance - Rooms run smaller than the week as a whole: median 5 RSVPs per event. - One outlier breaks that pattern: Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL lists 343 RSVPs. - Tuesday, Oct 13 is the peak, with 9 events. ## Subscribe - Calendar feed (ICS, new events appear automatically): https://www.chancity.ai/events/la-tech-week/defense-founders/calendar.ics - Webcal: webcal://www.chancity.ai/events/la-tech-week/defense-founders/calendar.ics ## Events Columns: Time is Pacific time. Access: RSVP means a plain RSVP, Apply means the host approves each guest. Status: open, waitlist, closed or sold out, from the official Tech Week calendar. Food and Drinks: the host's own words ("mentions", not a promise). Price: only where the listing shows a price; a dash means no price listed. Featured: featured on the official Tech Week calendar. | Date | Time | Event | Host | Area | Access | Status | Food | Price | Featured | RSVP | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Mon, Oct 12 | 6 PM to 8 PM | Scaling Innovation in Critical Industries: An ACA × KPMG Founder Dinner | Arizona Commerce Authority, KPMG, Ryan Youhan, Katie Sieker | Santa Monica | Apply | open | Dinner | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/7i3bdNeVw0K9z9KHNmkF?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 11 AM to 2 PM | Wrapping up the Raise Luncheon - Deep Tech Investors & Closing Founders | Actuate Ventures, Strativ, Andrew Woodfield, Camilla Thompson | - | Apply | open | Lunch | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/YNHBdNHU5Nw3Wnudsc6r?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 2 PM to 6 PM | LIGHT SPEED & LIFTOFF | DLA Piper, KPMG LLP, StarFrame Capital, Johnny Lam, Ryan Youhan, Sarah Chambless, Rosa Hathaway, Benjamin Gabella | El Segundo | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/UuzzclkF3JtwPrLFa8g0?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 4:30 PM | Scaling with Intention: Seed to A and Beyond | CBRE, Nick Moran | El Segundo | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/uHPYWsMGwDvWREUmDaXV?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 5 PM to 9 PM | Dinner & Drinks with Fearn + Matter Intelligence | Fearn, Han, Angela, Kevin Bennett | El Segundo | Apply | open | Dinner | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/dTL5Gaw620pX7vI4Ss3p?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 5 PM to 10 PM | Seed2Table – Pitch+Dinner for AI, Web3 & Deep Tech Investors | Seed2Table | Long Beach | Apply | open | Dinner, Drinks | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/AzAKx20ezVjqjpeBPDMN?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 5 PM to 7 PM | Startup Spotlight: The Future of Aerospace & Defense | La French Tech San Diego, Safran Corporate Ventures, Techstars Space Accelerator, Sylvie Almeri, Noemie Vauthelin, Allison Kitain | Culver City | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/mDZ059sOr65KP5qBEjpc?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 6 PM to 8 PM | Defense/ Space Tech Panel | Reitler Law, Deel, Citizens Bank, Madalyn Woronoff, Madeleine Futterman, Scott Rosenblatt | Santa Monica | Apply | open | Snacks, Open bar | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/WxSSAOV5hQ2zdx5taBke?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 6 PM to 9 PM | Gundo Happy Hour | 8090 Industries, 645 Ventures, Ryan Musto, Clare Brandfonbrener | El Segundo | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/4UyEW2A8DXvfCd1TtmGy?ref=chancity) | | Tue, Oct 13 | 6 PM to 9 PM | Hardware Renaissance & American Dynamism by Imagining Forward | Imagining Forward | Santa Monica | Apply | open | Drinks | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/yeQJ9mOVtbhK10TqAL43?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 10:30 AM to 1 PM | Building at the Speed of Defense - A PwC Space & Defense Tech Executive Roundtable | PwC, Amanda Ritchey, Matthew Albert, Sayantani Sarkar, Salome Toppo | El Segundo | Apply | open | Lunch | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/LJ8Vsiu9w3feTu1YXVo1?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 12 PM to 1:30 PM | An Intimate Lunch for the Defense Industry | Braav, ANNA Redmond | Westwood | Apply | open | Lunch | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/1mXGNl9LIFb664udRuNo?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 3 PM to 7 PM | Mission Critical: AI Meets Aerospace & Defense at The BR-DGE x DTI | AI LA, Goodfin, SpaceWerx, Sarah Katyal, Heather Sit, Connor Caproni, Sophia Devlin, Sarah Barbod | El Segundo | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/P9dozRBsKzJIur8qZO5j?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 4:30 PM | Building AI for the Physical World - Inside Hadrian's Factory X | Orrick, Bessemer Venture Partners, Harmoni, JPMorgan, Summer Buhl | Torrance | Apply | open | - | - | yes | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/4EKs2cTjFVAyHIf7mm6f?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 5 PM to 8 PM | Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL | Techstars Space, Allison Kitain, Rebecca Poizner, Claire | Culver City | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/X0kRQCIYtDlpF4zh346E?ref=chancity) | | Wed, Oct 14 | 8 PM to 11 PM | Defense/Deep-Tech After Party | Wells Fargo, Greenberg Traurig LLP, Multiball Capital, Fulcrum Venture Group, Eagle Law, Matt Kozlov, Celenia T, Chase Means | Hollywood | Apply | open | Open bar | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/bzzSRmMWxNc87qnJwuYu?ref=chancity) | | Thu, Oct 15 | 8:30 AM to 10 AM | The Future of Hard Tech | Upfront Ventures, AnySignal, Fenwick, Mayu K, Naheed Simjee | Torrance | Apply | open | Breakfast | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/V0O7enJsJfS9ZSYjtvQQ?ref=chancity) | | Thu, Oct 15 | 4 PM to 6 PM | Founders, Funders & High Performance Mixer | Equinox, Ben | Culver City | Apply | open | Snacks | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/RM8f08XR7zkQ1yAFLN4A?ref=chancity) | | Thu, Oct 15 | 5:45 PM | Your Defense Tech Unknown Unknowns Are Known in Ukraine | Green Flag Ventures, Justin Zeefe | Santa Monica | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/GJxW8ouJ0NuV2gLZRnFX?ref=chancity) | | Thu, Oct 15 | 7 PM | After SpaceX: building the Industrial space age | Sovera, Argo Space, Ephemeris, Noah Feingold, Kirby Carlisle, Chase Lookofsky, Michelle Volz | Venice | Apply | open | - | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/SShdKarHVMGj4q783zcC?ref=chancity) | | Fri, Oct 16 | 7 PM to 10 PM | Defense Tech Social | Picogrid, Neros Technologies, Rangeview, Caroline Berg, Jennie Kim, Michelle Morales, Alex Querna | El Segundo | Apply | open | Snacks | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/r5vz8oHxnXNINh5yRlWT?ref=chancity) | | Fri, Oct 16 | 7 PM | Loop - a supper on the physical economy | Allometry, Taylor Gendron | Sunset | Apply | open | Drinks | - | - | [Apply](https://partiful.com/e/uetgtkVXk9hdl5neteQQ?ref=chancity) | ## Who is there - Hosting: Allison Kitain (2); Ryan Youhan (2); 645 Ventures (1); 8090 Industries (1); Actuate Ventures (1); AI LA (1); Alex Querna (1); Allometry (1); Amanda Ritchey (1); Andrew Woodfield (1) ([X](https://x.com/andrewactuates)); Angela (1); ANNA Redmond (1) - Speaking: Dennis Fong; Krystle Caponio; Rosa Hathaway; Nick Galano; Vinny Pande; Tom Daley; Dan Goldin; Stephen Cheung; George Whitesides; Richard Cook; Neel Lilani; Trevor Burns; Jim Belosic; David Caputo; Jai Malik; West Owens; Misha Rudominski; Justin Zeefe ## FAQ ### What do hosts ask when you apply? Across 22 defense and govtech events for founders with an application form, 22 ask for a job title, 22 for a company, 22 for LinkedIn and 12 for GitHub. ### What are the main defense and govtech events for founders on Tuesday, Oct 13? 9 defense and govtech events for founders are listed for Tuesday, Oct 13, led by LIGHT SPEED & LIFTOFF and Startup Spotlight: The Future of Aerospace & Defense. LIGHT SPEED & LIFTOFF (Tue 2 PM, DLA Piper); Startup Spotlight: The Future of Aerospace & Defense (Tue 5 PM, La French Tech San Diego); Wrapping up the Raise Luncheon - Deep Tech Investors & Closing Founders (Tue 11 AM, Actuate Ventures); Dinner & Drinks with Fearn + Matter Intelligence (Tue 5 PM, Fearn); Gundo Happy Hour (Tue 6 PM, 8090 Industries). ### What are the main defense and govtech events for founders on Wednesday, Oct 14? 6 defense and govtech events for founders are listed for Wednesday, Oct 14, led by Building AI for the Physical World - Inside Hadrian's Factory X and Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL. Near the top are Building AI for the Physical World - Inside Hadrian's Factory X (Wed 4:30 PM), Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL (Wed 5:00 PM), Mission Critical: AI Meets Aerospace & Defense at The BR-DGE x DTI (Wed 3:00 PM), Defense/Deep-Tech After Party (Wed 8:00 PM) and An Intimate Lunch for the Defense Industry (Wed 12:00 PM). ### Which defense and govtech events for founders have food? 10 of the 22 mention food (3 snacks, 3 lunch, 3 dinner). Founders, Funders & High Performance Mixer (Thu 4 PM, Equinox); An Intimate Lunch for the Defense Industry (Wed 12 PM, Braav); Wrapping up the Raise Luncheon - Deep Tech Investors & Closing Founders (Tue 11 AM, Actuate Ventures); Dinner & Drinks with Fearn + Matter Intelligence (Tue 5 PM, Fearn); Building at the Speed of Defense - A PwC Space & Defense Tech Executive Roundtable (Wed 10:30 AM, PwC). ### Which defense and govtech events for founders have drinks? 5 mention drinks: 2 open bar, 3 alcohol. They include Defense/Deep-Tech After Party (Wed 8:00 PM), "an open bar"; Seed2Table – Pitch+Dinner for AI, Web3 & Deep Tech Investors (Tue 5:00 PM), "Savour an exquisite buffet dinner"; Defense/ Space Tech Panel (Tue 6:00 PM), "light bites"; Hardware Renaissance & American Dynamism by Imagining Forward (Tue 6:00 PM). ### Which defense and govtech events for founders have the most RSVPs? Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL has the most, 343 going. Techstars Aerospace & Defense Happy Hour w/ US Space Force and NASA JPL (Wed 5 PM, Techstars Space); Mission Critical: AI Meets Aerospace & Defense at The BR-DGE x DTI (Wed 3 PM, AI LA); Defense/Deep-Tech After Party (Wed 8 PM, Wells Fargo); Founders, Funders & High Performance Mixer (Thu 4 PM, Equinox); An Intimate Lunch for the Defense Industry (Wed 12 PM, Braav). ### Which defense and govtech events for founders are virtual or farther out? 0 are virtual and 3 are farther out, mostly in Torrance. Near the top are Building AI for the Physical World - Inside Hadrian's Factory X (Wed 4:30 PM), Seed2Table – Pitch+Dinner for AI, Web3 & Deep Tech Investors (Tue 5:00 PM) and The Future of Hard Tech (Thu 8:30 AM). ### Which neighborhood has the most defense events at LA Tech Week? El Segundo, with 7 of the 22 events. The rest are spread across other parts of LA. --- HTML version: https://www.chancity.ai/events/la-tech-week/defense-founders Full LA Tech Week schedule: https://www.chancity.ai/events/la-tech-week/schedule For AI agents: https://www.chancity.ai/events/la-tech-week/agent