AWS Public Sector Blog

AWS launches first Defence Accelerator for startups

UK defence accelerator

A core function of every country is to protect and defend its people and borders. For countries like the UK, being at the forefront of innovation is vital to maintaining an agile, swift, and effective defence strategy. To support this need, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is launching its first Defence Accelerator for UK based startups, and startups from Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) doing business in the UK.

The AWS Defence Accelerator’s goal is to support startups that use cloud technologies to provide defensive cyber, data discovery and optimisation, space exploitation, and sustainability solutions. In today’s world, cloud technologies are critical to maintaining military and defensive technological capabilities. The speed of collecting, processing, and analyzing data is key to mission success and security.

The AWS Defence Accelerator is a four-week technical, business, and mentorship program delivered in collaboration with PUBLIC, a UK government technology firm. Participating startups will receive AWS Promotional Credits, potential proof of concept opportunities, specialized AWS training, mentoring from defence domain and technical subject matter experts, business development, go-to-market advice, and investment guidance. The program also offers opportunities for defence-industry leaders to mentor startups on topics ranging from defining their business models to showcasing their solutions’ business value.

Who can apply to the AWS Defence Accelerator

The AWS Defence Accelerator is open to UK startups, and EMEA based startups doing business in the UK. Eligible startups must address and deliver mission-critical solutions for land, air, maritime, space, or cyber defence. The initial cohort will include 10 defence startups that already have existing customers and revenue, and demonstrate that they can use AWS services to solve big challenges in the defence industry.

Applications are evaluated on several factors, including the project’s innovative and unique nature, the team’s ability to deliver a solution, creative uses of AWS services to develop the solution, and the overall value of the solution to UK’s defence industry.

Learn more about the AWS Defence Accelerator and how to apply. Applications are open from today through July 1, 2022.

Discover how PUBLIC helps reimagine and build digitally enabled public services. Plus, learn more about how AWS supports public sector defence customers and partners.

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Grant Hume

Grant Hume

Grant Hume is national security, defence, space, and sustainability business development manager for UK public sector venture capital and startups at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He works with entrepreneurs and founders to build markets in the UK, EMEA, and international public sector.

Rich Julien

Rich Julien

Rich Julien is the global head, national security and space startups for the public sector at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He works on behalf of startups and their investors to leverage technical and business capabilities to enable them to grow and scale. Likewise, he works with public sector customers to identify innovative startups that can help address critical missions and helps those startups overcome the unique challenges of working with the public sector.