US Navy tech chief shares investment plans and future wish list at Disrupt 2026

UPDATE - follow-up to Even mid-sprint to a secret flight, the Navy's tech chief has a pitch for investors: Department of Navy Chief Technology Officer Justin Fanelli shared updates on the military branch's investment strategy and technology priorities. Fanelli has spent the past three and a half years working to simplify how startups do business with the U.S. Navy. Last year, he described moving away from an old system of complicated entry points and toward a funnel approach where high-performing companies are pulled directly into the technology pipeline. Recent actions include a $562 million autonomous refueling deal. The Navy is also focusing its future wish list on areas like artificial intelligence and quantum technology, pointing founders toward the sectors where the military wants them to build next instead of funding early research directly.