---
title: "Even mid-sprint to a secret flight, the Navy’s tech chief has a pitch for investors"
description: "Navy CTO Justin Fanelli talks co-investing alongside VCs instead of funding early research himself, recent buys like a $562 million autonomous refueling deal, and the Navy's updated wish list — from AI to quantum — for where founders should be building next."
author: "Connie Loizos"
section: ai-tech
published: 2026-10-06T13:32:33.629752+00:00
canonical: https://valorandventures.media/article/b10f1b27-a927-48c5-935c-1b1484e378dc
publisher: "Valor & Ventures Media"
source: "TechCrunch"
source_url: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/19/even-mid-sprint-to-a-secret-flight-the-navys-tech-chief-had-a-pitch-for-investors/
access: free
---

# Even mid-sprint to a secret flight, the Navy’s tech chief has a pitch for investors

*Navy CTO Justin Fanelli talks co-investing alongside VCs instead of funding early research himself, recent buys like a $562 million autonomous refueling deal, and the Navy's updated wish list — from AI to quantum — for where founders should be building next.*

## Article

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Connie Loizos · TechCrunch

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Originally published by TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/19/even-mid-sprint-to-a-secret-flight-the-navys-tech-chief-had-a-pitch-for-investors/