The City with the World's #1 Purchaser Wants Startups to Move There

Why Arlington, VA is Cyber’s Best-Kept Secret

By Sebastián Vidal

A few months ago, if you had asked me what I knew about Arlington, I would’ve timidly said, “It's the city next to D.C., right?” That’s about it.

I had no idea that Arlington, VA, is one of the most strategic launchpads for startups entering the U.S.—especially if you're building in cybersecurity, defense tech, aerospace, or anything the government might care about.

Then I visited.

And here’s what I found out. The #1 purchaser in the world (yes, the Pentagon) is right there—literally buying $14B+ in cyber and defense contracts per year.

Arlington is the #1 hub of cybersecurity companies in the U.S., with government contracts flowing faster than venture capital in Silicon Valley.

Amazon chose it as the site of HQ2, and when I stepped into that building, I understood why. It’s not just an office—it’s an experience.

Bonus? The city is now transforming an entire neighborhood into an innovation corridor—just steps away from Reagan Airport. You can fly in, pitch the DoD, and fly out the same day.

Why Here?

• DoD’s Backyard: Over 70% of U.S. cyber contracts touch Arlington.

• Federal infra: SBIR grants, DIU contracts, and more—all headquartered nearby.

• Talent Hack: Amazon investing 2B into the school system (Virginia Tech, George Mason, etc).

• Quality of Life: Walkable neighborhoods (I can testify this), government partners, research labs, top-tier universities (GMU, VT, Northeastern), and more sunshine than you’d expect.

How to Tap In

• Join Arlington Tech Launchpad – A softlanding program from the local government that brings international startups to explore expansion here. (Full disclosure: I helped design and run this.)

• Apply for SBIR/STTR Grants – Soon, we’ll be sharing some hacks that break it down.

• Meet Local VCs & Stakeholders – Most focus on defense, gov-tech, and overall cyber.

Action Items

• Forward this to the founder who keeps talking about breaking into the U.S. market, but it's not moving.

• If you are around, I can get you a WeWork discount with this view👇🏼

• Reply with the City we should go next…

Next Week: A Madrid deep dive, which may require more than just one post, FYI.