WT 360: The market from all angles

Nick Wakeman, Ross Wilkers
  • 4.6 (8)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

WT 360 is where the conversation takes place on what’s driving the federal government market now and where the sector is going. Editor-In-Chief Nick Wakeman and Senior Staff Reporter Ross Wilkers look at the market from all angles through interviews with industry executives and informed observers of the sector.

  1. 4D AGO

    A pulse check on GovCon’s capital market landscape

    The window for government contractors, especially those in defense and space technology, to go public is open again as several listings over the past 12 months show and SpaceX’s own offering this year will illustrate. Dave Khalsa, head of mid-cap defense and government technology investment banking at J.P. Morgan, works on transactions of many different types and observes all of them to help companies in the market figure it all out. In starting out this episode, Dave explains what all companies can take away from the handful of initial public offerings over the past 12 months and SpaceX’s listing. This is true of whether they plan to go down the IPO path or not. The rest of the conversation between Dave and our Ross Wilkers focuses on how government priorities shape merger-and-acquisition activities by companies under different ownership models, including private equity and venture capital. Public offerings put GovCon in a new spotlight as SpaceX's listing looms HawkEye 360's public offering hauls in $416M AEVEX fetches $320M in IPO proceeds Firefly captures $868M in IPO proceeds York Space Systems raises $629M in public offering Merlin Labs’ public offering collects $200M to build an AI autopilot for any aircraft L3Harris to spin off its rocket motor business with the Pentagon as an anchor investor AeroVironment's tech and business blueprints with BlueHalo now in the fold Veritas Capital's ninth fund grows to $15.3B OceanSound Partners hauls in $3.4B for third fund Arlington Capital fetches $6B for its seventh fund Government equity investments open a new frontier for industry Venture investing is part of the M&A conversation too Anduril hauls in $5B for Series H round Shield AI closes $1.5B Series G round and moves on acquisition Saronic wraps up $600M Series C round Sierra Space and Vast detail their Series C investment rounds

    36 min

  2. MAY 11

    NextGov/FCW’s David DiMolfetta on CISA’s catchup, federal AI policy and offensive cyber

    The federal government’s lead agency for domestic cybersecurity and infrastructure protection matters has only completed its first week of being fully back up and running after not being funded for 11 weeks. David DiMolfetta, cyber reporter at NextGov/FCW, has covered how the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has operated through a period that followed losses of nearly one-third of its workforce under this Trump administration. David joins our Ross Wilkers for this episode to lay out CISA’s path forward with funding in place, plus what the agency’s stakeholders in the private and public sectors should watch out for amid the catchup. David then breaks down NextGov/FCW’s recent reporting on two major storylines on artificial intelligence policy coming out of the White House that has direct implications for industry. The second half of their conversation is all about a deep dive article David put together on where industry fits, or may not fit, into the government’s offensive cyber approach. CISA resources ‘more limited than I would like’ amid shutdown, top official says IBM security executive emerges as possible contender to lead CISA Plankey withdraws nomination to lead CISA Trump admin floats policy language limiting contractor say on agency uses of technology White House is drafting plans to permit federal Anthropic use Operational technology providers are feeling ‘annoyance’ at exclusion from Anthropic’s Mythos rollout, sources say Anthropic’s Glasswing initiative raises questions for US cyber operations US push to counter hackers draws industry deeper into offensive cyber debate US lists offensive cyberattacks in counterterrorism strategy Trump admin will push for ‘long-term’ reauthorization of key cyber data-sharing law

    33 min

  3. MAY 4

    NextGov/FCW’s Edward Graham on the world’s AI and robotics leadership race

    Once again, the U.S. government is accusing China of being among several foreign entities that are looking to steal proprietary information on artificial intelligence models from American companies. Edward Graham, managing editor and Veterans Affairs Department reporter at NextGov/FCW, discovered a memo the White House sent to federal agencies that warns of distillation campaigns seeking to help create knockoff versions of AI models. Ed joins our Ross Wilkers for this episode to explain how those campaigns work and, more importantly, how they help illuminate the competition between the U.S. and China to lead the world in AI and robotics tech development. Ed also provides an update on where things stand with VA’s rollout of a new electronic health record, which has had many fits and starts over the years to say the least. White House accuses China of ‘deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns’ to steal US AI models US needs to flesh out strategy to counter China’s robotics advances, lawmakers say AI capabilities are needed to counter drone threats, senator says House FY27 VA funding bill allocates $3.4B for EHR rollout VA resumes EHR rollouts at four Michigan medical sites

    40 min

  4. APR 27

    GovCon’s new world order requires hard pivots

    Decision authority shifts, the government acting like a venture customer and data transparency being the standard mode of operations are examples of how the old formulas of GovCon business success are becoming outdated. Davi Hayes, senior director for federal strategy at The Chertoff Group, fields any questions from industry clients seeking to understand those trends and more about how the buying behaviors of their federal customers are changing. For this episode, Davi joins our Ross Wilkers to lay out some of the answers he found in putting together the article “The Federal Market Has Changed. Has Your Strategy?” The three trends highlighted at the top feature in their discussion. Davi and Ross also overview how services companies are also part of the equation when “Navigating the New “Production-First” Defense Paradigm,” a second article to read along as they discuss the new world order of GovCon.

    26 min

  5. APR 20

    Noblis and its next 30 years

    Noblis was stood up in 1996 as a science, technology and strategy organization that works with federal agencies on creating and rolling out solutions for some of their most complex problems. Mile Corrigan, chief executive of Noblis, joins for this episode to go over the firm’s blueprint for its future beyond this milestone year of celebrating its 30th anniversary and how technology transition efforts are at the heart of that vision. The government wants tech to get from lab to field much quicker than before. In talking with our Ross Wilkers, Corrigan explains some of the keys to making that happen from an industry point-of-view. Corrigan also lays out how Noblis looks at applied science, the firm’s venture investment activity since starting out on that in 2023 and what it means to be a nonprofit in today’s landscape. WT 360: The tech and investment threads of Noblis 'Vision 2030' Noblis' venture arm backs generative AI company Noblis' venture arm invests in space data tech company Noblis' venture arm backs digital twin specialist Noblis looks within for its next chief executive More code than papers: inside Noblis' turn into that direction Noblis' evolution told by this foray into solutions

    20 min

  6. APR 13

    Arcfield and the modern era’s space races

    While the 20th century’s Space Race was strictly head-to-head, the 21st century variant is much more complex and multipolar as private businesses and nations are looking to lead in this domain. Kevin Kelly, chief executive of Arcfield, joins for this episode to go over how this systems engineering outfit is looking at the landscape through the lens of a company that has both government and private sector customers. In talking with Ross Wilkers, Kelly explains the art and science of managing space as it gets more and more crowded thanks to plummeting launch costs. The Golden Dome missile defense initiative, data centers in space and Arcfield’s acquisition activity over the past three years are also on the agenda. Arcfield enters the seas via acquisition Arcfield adds small satellite skills with new acquisition Arcfield acquires digital twin provider WT 360: All about Arcfield's strategy and investment thesis

    31 min

  7. MAR 30

    NextGov/FCW’s Natalie Alms on the early days of DOGE and its cost-cut decisions

    Cuts to contract and grant spending, including outright cancellations, were a feature of the Department of Government Efficiency’s activities during the first year of the Trump administration and some lawsuits followed from those impacted. Natalie Alms, senior correspondent at NextGov/FCW, worked with our colleague and fellow senior reporter Eric Katz at Government Executive to watch 23 hours of testimony in one of those cases that sheds light on DOGE’s goals and the pressures to meet them. “Nat” joins our Ross Wilkers for this episode to explain what she and Eric discovered in reporting out a story that is still working its way through the judicial system, but is showing enough of the atmosphere and environment surrounding DOGE. Nat also goes over her findings on how some technologists joining the government workforce can remain connected to their private sector employers and summarizes the White House budget office’s ongoing review of federal contracts. If you have a tip you'd like to share, Natalie Alms can be securely contacted at nalms.41 on Signal. Inside DOGE’s early days of pressure campaigns, rule breaking and ‘chaos’ DOJ clears the way for government to hire technologists still connected to their private sector employers Contract reviews continue at OMB, official says Federal CIO tapped for dual-hatted role at GSA Agencies lost around 20,000 tech workers last year — and now the Trump admin is hiring Inside the federal CIO’s culture-first approach Trump admin launches US Tech Force to recruit temporary workers after shedding thousands this year

    33 min

  8. MAR 23

    GovCon’s vital signs point to DHS’ partial closure, Anthropic’s possible exit and the FAR Overhaul

    GovCon finds itself in a strange situation where the Homeland Security Department does not have a budget and is in a shutdown, but the three immigration agencies are still operating with some funds. How is that possible? Stephanie Kostro, president of the Professional Services Council, joins Nick and Ross for this episode to lay out how that is and the DHS funding lapse’s myriad impacts on industry and society. Their conversation then turns to what contractors are seeking to learn and understand from the U.S. government’s very public breakup with Anthropic, which will take months to complete, and what to watch for next in the Federal Acquisition Regulation overhaul effort. The Revolutionary FAR Overhaul is far from the only policy item contractors should pay attention to in 2026, as Kostro explains. Trump's new DHS nominee promises some changes, adequate staffing amid shutdown-induced departures CISA to furlough most of its workforce under impending DHS shutdown Path to averting a shutdown remains elusive as lawmakers debate DHS funding Microsoft takes Anthropic's side in DOD fight, warns it sets a new precedent WT 360: Nextgov/FCW’s Alexandra Kelley on the government’s breakup with Anthropic Anthropic sues over a dozen federal agencies and government leaders The FAR overhaul rewrote the rules, but now comes the hard part The hardest part of FAR reform is culture, not the rules GSA set to begin its rulemaking push for the FAR overhaul Small businesses face upheaval under the acquisition overhaul and agency cuts

    37 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.6
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

WT 360 is where the conversation takes place on what’s driving the federal government market now and where the sector is going. Editor-In-Chief Nick Wakeman and Senior Staff Reporter Ross Wilkers look at the market from all angles through interviews with industry executives and informed observers of the sector.

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