AUSA is the largest defense event in the United States, drawing more than 40,000 attendees from 92 countries. For Israeli defense-tech founders, there is no better place to put yourself in front of the people who make acquisition decisions, write checks, and sign contracts.
CET Sandbox is building an exclusive delegation program around AUSA 2026, combining pre-conference preparation in Israel with a packed week of private events, curated introductions to U.S. defense primes, leading VC firms, and senior government officials, and a full-day closed forum to lock in momentum before you fly home.
John Sheehan — who spent two decades at Lockheed Martin, was VP Strategy at Booz Allen, and built the Aerospace & Satellite unit at AWS — will provide a no-bullshit go-to-market session for Israeli founders. John is now CEO of defense contractor AVX in Texas, will tell you what works in the U.S., and — by the way — he's looking to partner with Israeli founders on his DoW contracts. Don't miss this.
4:00 PM to 5:00 PMFluet, one of the leading defense and national security law firms in Washington, is bringing in their network of Defense Industrial Base clients for an evening reception exclusively for the delegation. This is the room where relationships between Israeli founders and U.S. prime contractors begin.
5:30 PM onwardsThe financial services giant that recently announced a $1.5 trillion resiliency fund (yes, you read that right: one-point-five trillion) will host the Israeli delegation for a curated breakfast reception with some of the top defense-tech venture capital firms in the United States. This will give you the opportunity to meet VCs in an informal setting, and hear from a few of them about their investment hypotheses and focus.
8:30 – 10:00 AM (Breakfast)That evening, AWS, Mission Cultivate, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), and the Defense Technology Alliance (DTA) are co-hosting a panel on U.S.–Israel defense policy — the bilateral dynamics, technology cooperation frameworks, and political landscape that will shape whether your product gets adopted or stalls at the gate. Understanding this context isn't optional; it's the difference between a founder who pitches a capability and one who speaks the language of the policy environment around it. The panel is followed by a cocktail reception where the room stays together and the conversation shifts from policy to partnership.
5:30 PM onwards (Evening)Holland & Knight, one of the most connected law firms in the U.S. defense and government contracting space,in partnership with Tenna Systems is hosting an exclusive evening for the delegation with direct access to their clients across the defense ecosystem. This is a rare opportunity for Israeli founders to engage decision-makers in a genuine, unscripted setting.
5:30 PM onwardsAt this full-day program, government officials, defense primes, and Holland & Knight experts will provide go-to-market insights and advice for Israeli defense-tech founders. Israeli founders will be the only ones in the room as we engage with:
This program is open exclusively to Israeli defense-tech startups. It is not intended for advisors, consultants, or other ecosystem players, so that every conversation in the room stays between founders and decision-makers. Eligibility is confirmed at registration.
Accomodations
The CET Sandbox has negotiated a discounted room block for AUSA at Placemakr DuPont Circle, which is a 25 minute walk from the convention center. Every room has its own kitchen, there’s a decent gym, and our rate is only $279 per night, which is 1/3 of what hotels are getting near the event. Limited space available! Use this link to book your rooms.
Attendees need to separately register for AUSA, which is free. Please register using code TEMS26 as that will provide you access to the International Trade Center Lounge, and access to the Export Interest Directory.
Register for AUSA at: https://www.xpressreg.net/
