Iyer: Unpaid pilots and CRADAs are crucial for defense autonomy startups
Akhil Iyer · Why 2027 and 2049 are KEY YEARS | Akhil Iyer on TBPN April 3rd · Apr 8, 2025 · at 14:26
Akhil Iyer explains how non-financial government partnerships like Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) assist early-stage defense founders.
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“Sometimes an unpaid pilot is super helpful. Going on a Crata which I think, you know, Saronic and others had done in the early days, access to data, access to testing environments is just as important, particularly for those within the autonomy space, right? That need to go test and validate, get access to the right data, or just have ranges where you have at least a little lower barrier to entry when it comes to flying, certifying, et cetera.”
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