Government · 5 deals
Every published round U.S. Department of Defense took part in, and every parcel of existing shares it bought off another holder. Deals we hold but haven't published yet are not counted.
| Company | Stage | Announced | Amount | Role | Alongside | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENA Respiratory | Grant | 1 Sep 2026 | $3m | Lead | fundedstartupsdaily.com (16 Sep 2026), fundedstartupsdaily.com (15 Sep 2026), Uniseed, Startup Daily, Biotech Dispatch, datapile.co (3 Sep 2026), Brandon Capital (2 Sep 2026), Dealroom, datapile.co (7 Aug 2026), Brandon BioCatalyst (6 Sep 2024), Brandon Capital (30 Apr 2024), Brandon BioCatalyst (29 Apr 2024), Brandon Capital portfolio | |
| Sunrise Energy Metals | Venture debt | 8 Aug 2026 | $400m | Lead | Dealroom (10 Aug 2026), Dealroom (8 Aug 2026) | |
| Sila | Venture debt | 8 Aug 2026 | ≤$1.4b | Lead | Dealroom | |
| ENA Respiratory | Grant | 5 Sep 2024 | US$3.2m (A$4.7m) | Lead | enarespiratory.com, Brandon Capital (7 May 2025), Brandon Capital (11 Feb 2025), Brandon BioCatalyst (11 Feb 2025), Brandon BioCatalyst (6 Sep 2024) | |
| ENA Respiratory | Grant | 10 Jan 2023 | US$4.4m (A$6.3m) | Participant | Brandon Capital portfolio, Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio |
Companies U.S. Department of Defense has backed in a published round, and companies whose existing shares it bought off another holder.
| Company | What it does | First invested | Rounds | Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENA Respiratory | Antiviral nasal spray to prevent severe respiratory viral infections | 10 Jan 2023, Grant | 3 | 2 |
| Sila | U.S.-based startup expanding production of its silicon-carbon battery material | 8 Aug 2026, Venture debt | 1 | 1 |
| Sunrise Energy Metals | Australian company mining scandium | 8 Aug 2026, Venture debt | 1 | 1 |
Fund closes reported for U.S. Department of Defense, as distinct from the investments it has made.
Companies U.S. Department of Defense has backed that another company then bought. An exit for the holding, not a deal U.S. Department of Defense did.
Stories naming U.S. Department of Defense. Where several outlets covered the same round, they are bundled under whichever ran the fullest account.
The defence sensing company says its Series A backing from QIC Ventures and Folklore Ventures drew Wall Street Journal coverage of planned United States manufacturing, at a $72 million valuation.
Crunchbase's 2026 forecast lists fifteen late-stage companies it deems probable or very likely IPO candidates, profiling each with past raises, valuations and secondary sales; Australia's Canva makes the list.
A profile of ENA Respiratory traces its INNA-051 immune-boosting nasal spray from an accidental lab finding to Phase 2 trials, noting AUD 49 million in funding, a US Defence contract and Flu Lab investment.
Melbourne pharmaceutical company ENA Respiratory has received US$5 million from California's Flu Lab to advance clinical testing of its nasal immune-boosting antiviral candidate INNA-051.
Melbourne's ENA Respiratory has won a further US$3.18 million US Defense Department contract to widen its INNA-051 Phase Ib trial to younger adults, extending the US$8.18 million the agency had already committed.
Also Brandon BioCatalyst portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·Brandon Capital portfolio·enarespiratory.com
Metal 3D printer maker SPEE3D has launched its first US manufacturing and applications facility at the University of New Hampshire, keeping its Melbourne headquarters as it serves American defence clients.
ENA Respiratory receives a USD 4.38 million U.S. Department of Defense agreement to develop an intranasal dry powder antiviral; its past Series A backers are also recalled.
Lynas's American subsidiary has received roughly US$120 million from the US Defense Department to cover construction of a Texas plant processing heavy rare earths, part of a trend of offshore processing by Australian producers.