The Lore
The chance of surviving an injury increases nearly threefold if you receive a blood transfusion within an hour. But blood supplies are often too far away to administer in time, especially in combat zones or disaster sites. But we thought "drones can help solve that!"
We sought out companies solving this problem to add them to our toolbox. As product manager, I helped them navigate the bureaucracy, adapt their technology to the military, and balance mission needs with business priorities.
We envisioned this partnership with these values in mind:
A dozen companies have pitched their ideas, and we invited three of them to provide a full proposal to us and the end-users. One of the main contenders, Zipline, has been operating in Rwanda. It most recently participated in a joint exercise with the US Marine Corps and the Australian Defence Force.
About the
Defense Innovation Unit
The Defense Innovation Unit is a fast-moving Department of Defense (DoD) organization that contracts with commercial companies to solve national security problems with commercial talent and innovation.
It is the only DoD organization focused exclusively on radidly fielding and scaling commercial technology across the U.S. Armed Forces. It lowers barriers to entry into the defense market for commercial companies driving innovation in emerging and foundational technology areas.
By focusing on the fundamental problem and the tangible value that solving it would bring to the end user, we've created a new way for businesses to bring modern technology to the DoD at commercial speeds that the on-the-ground user actually loves and values.