Palantir’s CTO, and 13th employee, has become a secret weapon for Valley defense tech startups

Sep 2, 2024

Palantir's CTO Shyam Sankar boosts defense tech startups via the First Breakfast program, offering tools and guidance.

Palantir’s CTO, and 13th employee, has become a secret weapon for Valley defense tech startups

: Palantir's CTO Shyam Sankar is championing the growth of defense tech startups, driven by former Tesla and SpaceX employees. He launched First Breakfast to provide these startups with the tools and support needed to navigate government contracts. This initiative is part of Palantir's broader mission to support Western defense capabilities and foster a thriving ecosystem of new tech companies. Sankar emphasizes the importance of readiness and aims to instill innovation in the sector.

On August 5, Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s CTO, addressed new employees about the importance of defense tech startups, some of which are led by alumni from Tesla and SpaceX. To support these startups, Sankar initiated a program called First Breakfast, providing tools and guidance to help them navigate government contracts and approvals.

First Breakfast aims to be Palantir's equivalent of Amazon’s AWS moment by offering valuable software and consulting support to emerging defense tech companies. Key offerings include FedStart, which helps startups build their software on already-accredited platforms like Apollo and Rubix, significantly reducing the time and cost required for government accreditation processes.

Sankar's efforts are both ideological and strategic, aiming to boost American defense readiness and foster a new generation of tech innovators. While the defense tech ecosystem has flourished with over $129.3 billion in venture capital since 2021, the challenge remains in creating liquidity options for these startups to ensure sustained growth and investment interest.