Dual-use pivots: rebranding when commercial tech goes defense

Some of today’s most transformative defense technologies weren’t built for the battlefield. They began as commercial innovations—AI, drones, cybersecurity platforms, satellites—only to find themselves adopted by the Department of Defense and its partners.

This growing class of dual-use companies faces a unique challenge: branding. It’s one thing to market to venture capitalists or enterprise clients; it’s another to convince a defense program office that your company is mission-ready, trustworthy, and aligned with national security priorities.

The pivot from commercial to defense isn’t just about product adaptation. It’s about evolving your brand strategy, so your company can communicate credibility in both worlds without losing its identity.

Why branding shifts matter in dual-use

The stakes are high in dual-use. Government buyers and commercial buyers evaluate companies through very different lenses.

• Commercial audiences value disruption, ROI, speed, and user experience.
  
• Defense audiences prioritize trust, compliance, security, and mission alignment.

Without recalibrating your brand strategy, dual-use companies risk being seen as too commercial (and therefore unserious in defense) or too defense-heavy (and therefore out of step with enterprise markets). A brand that bridges both worlds becomes a strategic asset in winning contracts, investments, and long-term partnerships.

NatSec100 and why it matters

The NatSec100, an annual index compiled by the Silicon Valley Defense Group, tracks the top venture-backed startups that are shaping the future of national security. These companies are often dual-use by nature, serving both commercial and government markets with advanced technologies in AI, space, cyber, autonomy, and more.

Why is NatSec100 important? It provides a clear window into how the U.S. government is increasingly turning to commercial innovators for defense applications. The data shows where capital is flowing, how contracting is evolving, and what it takes for commercial-first companies to succeed in defense.

Two statistics from the 2025 NatSec100 highlight this shift (NatSec100):

• 2.3× year-over-year increase in DOD spending: In just one year, Department of Defense spending on NatSec100 companies more than doubled, reaching nearly $4 billion in 2024. This proves the government isn’t just experimenting with startups—it’s buying commercial and dual-use technology at scale.
  
• Rise of OTAs and non-FAR contracts: Roughly 12% of awards to NatSec100 companies now come through Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs) and other non-FAR pathways, nearly double the previous year. This demonstrates that procurement reform is real, and government buyers are actively using flexible mechanisms to engage non-traditional vendors.

For dual-use companies, these trends underscore the need to brand and position strategically, speaking both the language of innovation and the language of mission readiness.

Other signs of government shifts

NatSec100 is not the only signal that the government is serious about adopting commercial technology. Dedicated initiatives like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and SOFWERX are actively reshaping how the U.S. military sources and deploys innovation.

• Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), established in 2015, connects commercial tech companies with national security problems, fast-tracking projects that would otherwise be slowed by traditional procurement. Its success stories include the rapid adoption of AI, autonomy, and satellite technologies.
  
• SOFWERX, operating under U.S. Special Operations Command, serves as a collaboration hub where government, industry, and academia co-create and test solutions. It’s designed to push prototypes into the hands of operators quickly, compressing timelines from years to months.

Together, these initiatives highlight a broader cultural shift in defense acquisition: one that prizes speed, agility, and commercial partnership. For dual-use companies, this means that opportunities to enter defense are more accessible than ever, but only if their brand communicates both innovation and reliability.

Branding challenges in the dual-use pivot

Expanding from purely commercial to defense creates several branding friction points:

• Audience split: How do you speak to venture investors, enterprise clients, and defense procurement officers, and warfighters?
  
• Language gap: Commercial messaging leans on growth and market disruption, while defense requires reliability, compliance, and mission fit.
  
• Visual identity tension: Sleek startup branding can appear unserious to defense buyers, while heavy institutional branding may alienate commercial prospects.
  
• Reputation & compliance: Government buyers scrutinize past performance, contract vehicles, and certifications, elements rarely highlighted in a commercial brand system.

How to adjust your brand strategy

1. Recalibrate positioning
Your positioning statement must evolve to show both market agility and mission impact. Instead of a purely commercial promise—“Our platform reduces operational costs for enterprises”—add a defense dimension: “Our platform improves efficiency for enterprises and enhances operational effectiveness for defense.”

2. Modular messaging
Build a messaging architecture with dual pillars:

• Commercial: productivity, innovation, cost savings, scalability.
  
• Defense: resilience, compliance, interoperability, mission readiness.

This modularity allows your teams to tailor narratives depending on the audience without diluting the brand.

3. Visual identity evolution
Your design system must signal both innovation and trust. That might mean:

• Pairing modern typography with bold, mission-driven imagery.
  
• Balancing commercial polish with defense gravitas.

4. Website & UX tweaks
Your site should serve dual buyer journeys. That means:

• For government buyers: compliance badges, contract vehicles, leadership bios, defense case studies.
  
• For commercial buyers: product demos, customer testimonials, pricing clarity.

5. Content strategy expansion

• Defense credibility: white papers, certifications, government case studies.
  
• Commercial traction: customer stories, product videos, innovation blogs.

Both streams reinforce each other when orchestrated under a single brand umbrella.

Dual-use pivots

At Grafik, we’ve seen firsthand how branding supports companies navigating this dual-use transition:

• Capella Space: A pioneer in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites, Capella serves both commercial clients and defense partners. Grafik worked with Capella to define a bold brand strategy and visual identity that positioned the company as both an innovative startup and a credible defense partner. By developing a differentiated narrative and design system, we helped Capella communicate its unique ability to provide all-weather, day-and-night Earth observation data to both commercial markets and national security stakeholders.
  
• Maxar Technologies: As a global leader in space technology and geospatial intelligence, Maxar exemplifies the dual-use model. Grafik partnered with Maxar to build a marketing and brand platform that clearly communicated its ability to deliver trusted intelligence solutions for both government and commercial clients. From refining messaging to developing campaigns and content that highlighted Maxar’s impact—from national security to global business—we helped position Maxar as an innovative yet reliable partner, capable of flexing seamlessly across government contracts and commercial partnerships.

Dual-use branding is less about splitting your identity and more about building a flexible brand system that adapts seamlessly. Our process includes:

• Research: Understanding how both government and commercial buyers perceive your brand.
  
• Messaging playbooks: Creating modular messaging that flexes by audience but remains consistent in tone.
  
• Scalable design systems: Visual identities that convey innovation and trust, working equally well on a trade show booth, a federal RFP, or an investor pitch deck.

We’ve helped brands like Capella and Maxar navigate this complexity, and we know that in defense tech, clarity and credibility are just as important as creativity.

The dual-use pivot is an inflection point. It’s a chance for companies to expand impact and revenue, but only if their brand evolves to meet the expectations of both markets.

Get it right, and your brand doesn’t just win contracts. It wins trust, credibility, and staying power.

If your company is navigating a dual-use pivot, Grafik can help you reimagine your brand with the nuance required for both government and commercial success.