Crossing the Valley Ep 50: Scaling a Dual-Use AI Company
Jul 2, 2025
Guests Brian Drake, Federal CTO at Accrete AI, and Bill Wall, who leads federal operations, share insights from their journey in dual-use AI. They discuss the challenges of transitioning from commercial focus to securing government contracts, including a recent $15 million agreement with the Air Force. The conversation covers the necessity of real-time AI demonstrations, the shift toward outcome-driven queries, and the synergy between commercial success and government needs, emphasizing effective storytelling in marketing strategies.
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Classified Network Engineering Transition
- Accrete transitioned from unclassified to classified government networks by building an engineering team with security clearances.
- They coordinated between corporate and cleared engineers to update products for classified environments.
Commercial AI to Government Shift
- Accrete's commercial AI platform helps identify viral talent from massive music data flows.
- They realized the same tech could track extremist activity trends for government intelligence.
Supply Chain Risk in Commerce
- Commercial users increasingly realize supply chain risks include foreign government influence.
- Awareness is rising about the impact of geopolitics on commercial supply chains, beyond just government concerns.