Operationalizing Emerging Technology & Applied Research

Guiding Defense Innovation Through Complexity

Phronesis Research Strategies delivers operational expertise, emerging technology insights, and applied research to turn complex challenges into mission-ready outcomes.

Know the Mission.   Know the Money.   Know the Path.
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Know the Mission.
Deepen mission understanding and translate warfighter needs into actionable solutions.
Know the Money.
Navigate funding landscapes and align resources with strategic priorities across every DoD pathway.
Know the Path.
Understand the operational, acquisition, and stakeholder landscape to chart the best path from concept to sustained impact.
Who We Are

Strategic Counsel. Technical Depth. Mission Impact.

We partner with defense and national security organizations to accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and deliver measurable advantage across the full spectrum of missions. Founded by a Special Operations veteran with 50 deployments and 24 years navigating the full DoD acquisition ecosystem — from the field, to the Pentagon, to Capitol Hill.

Proven at Scale
Multi-Billion
OSD Unmanned Systems Strategy
$100M+
Federal R&D Secured
$1.8B+
ISR Portfolio — 300 Personnel, 4 Combat Locations, 13 Aircraft
50
Combat Deployments — Active Duty SOF & JSOC Program Leadership
30+
DoD Professionals Trained in Pursuit Methodology

"The gap between emerging technology and operational capability is where wars are won or lost. We close that gap — across every office, every color of money, every pathway that matters."

Core Services

Three Integrated Service Lines

I
Intelligence & Mission Solutions
Phronesis brings full-spectrum intelligence enterprise expertise across the complete capability lifecycle — from collection architecture and systems engineering to exploitation tools, autonomy integration, fielding, and operational deployment.
  • ISR platform strategy and investment advisory — Guidance on airborne, ground, and autonomous ISR architectures, mission payloads, modernization pathways, and investment priorities.
  • SIGINT, COMINT, HUMINT, and exploitation software — Advisory support for intelligence tools, data workflows, collection management, exploitation architectures, and mission software integration.
  • Autonomous systems integration and operationalization — Support for moving unmanned, autonomous, and AI-enabled systems from technical concept to tactically relevant employment.
  • Technology transition from prototype to sustained program — Strategy and execution support across prototype development, operational assessment, Quick Reaction Capability pathways, and Program of Record transition.
  • Systems engineering advisory — Technical and programmatic support for mission systems integration, platform modernization, test planning, and operational suitability.
  • Mission operations and field service coordination — Support for fielding, sustainment planning, user feedback loops, operator training, and deployed mission support.
II
Defense R&D Strategy & Pursuit
Phronesis applies a disciplined pursuit methodology built around the questions every defense technology company must answer before investing time, capital, or executive focus — informed by direct experience leading large-scale DoD intelligence portfolios and training teams to identify, qualify, and capture real defense opportunities.
  • Addressable market and available funding analysis — Assessment of validated demand, budget alignment, appropriations pathways, and realistic revenue potential.
  • Problem owner and demand-signal identification — Identification of program managers, operational sponsors, Combatant Command requirements, and organizations with authority to act.
  • Funding pathway mapping — Navigation across SBIR, STTR, OTA, BAA, CSO, direct-cite funding, rapid prototyping, congressional adds, and program-aligned transition routes.
  • Defense acquisition ecosystem navigation — Guidance across the full DoD acquisition environment including innovation organizations, program offices, requirements channels, test communities, and congressional stakeholders.
  • Innovation pathway engagement — Strategic positioning across SOFWERX, DIU, AFWERX, OSD R&E, DARPA, DEVCOM, service labs, and other nontraditional transition venues.
  • Prototype-to-Program of Record transition strategy — Planning and execution support to move technology from demonstration to operational adoption, sustained funding, and programmatic ownership.
III
Operational & Commercial Strategy
Phronesis supports strategic planning, go-to-market execution, and public-private engagement for companies operating at the intersection of industry, academia, government, and national security applied research.
  • Strategic planning and competitive roadmapping — Development of clear market-entry strategies, capability roadmaps, competitive positioning, and customer-aligned growth plans.
  • Go-to-market execution and commercial optimization — Support for translating technical capability into compelling customer value propositions, pursuit strategies, and scalable business models.
  • Public-private partnerships and consortium strategy — Advisory support for university partnerships, OTA consortia, applied research initiatives, and industry-government collaboration models.
  • Congressional stakeholder engagement and policy advisory — Support for communicating capability relevance, economic impact, national security value, and funding rationale to legislative stakeholders.
  • Operational scaling and process improvement — Support for building repeatable internal processes, capture discipline, executive operating rhythms, and scalable delivery models.
  • Senior leader and executive communication strategy — Preparation of executive narratives, decision briefs, congressional engagement materials, board-level messaging, and senior-leader communications.
Why Phronesis

From Prototype to Program of Record

Most defense consulting firms advise on strategy. Few have personally navigated the full lifecycle of defense technology transition. Phronesis has.

We help companies move from concept and capability development through market positioning, non-dilutive funding pursuit, prototype fielding, operational assessment, Quick Reaction Capability pathways, and Program of Record transition.

We do not just advise from the outside. We have executed inside the system — across intelligence, ISR, unmanned systems, autonomy, advanced weapons, additive manufacturing, and emerging defense technologies.

Phronesis also maintains access to a trusted network of cleared engineers, operators, acquisition professionals, and subject matter experts who can be rapidly aligned to support specialized customer needs.

SOF DNA
Combat-tested experience across special operations aviation and joint SOF environments. Phronesis understands the operational user, the mission context, and the consequences of fielding technology that must work under real-world conditions.
Full Ecosystem Access
Established relationships and operating familiarity across OSD, Army, SOCOM, DIU, SOFWERX, AFWERX, DARPA, DEVCOM, congressional offices, defense primes, and the broader national security innovation ecosystem.
Cleared & Ready
TS/SCI with polygraph. Ready to support sensitive, classified, and mission-critical efforts without unnecessary access delays.
SDVOSB Advantage
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business. Eligible to support set-aside strategies, teaming structures, and federal acquisition pathways across DoD and other national security agencies.
Platforms & Partnerships

Technology-Enabled Capabilities

Beyond advisory services, Phronesis brings purpose-built platforms and established innovation ecosystem partnerships to accelerate client outcomes.

Office of Strategic Advantage
DoD Opportunity Intelligence Platform
Beta — July 2026

Most defense companies spend months trying to identify the right DoD offices, funding mechanisms, and opportunities for their capability — and most get it wrong. The Office of Strategic Advantage changes that.

OSA is an AI-powered pursuit intelligence platform that maps your company's capability against the full DoD acquisition ecosystem — identifying relevant offices, programs, funding pathways, and opportunities across traditional and non-traditional venues — and delivers a Pursue or No Pursue recommendation package in minutes, not months.

  • Maps capability to relevant DoD offices, programs, and funding mechanisms
  • Classifies by office type — Accelerator, Experimentation, Program Office, CCMD
  • Color of money analysis — RDT&E, O&M, Procurement by appropriate pathway
  • Generates pursuit package — market position, teaming, timeline, draft response
  • API integration for Salesforce, Deltek, and leading capture management tools
  • Built on a methodology proven across multi-billion dollar DoD portfolios
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Beta access limited to 20 founding organizations. Annual subscription — founding member pricing available.
EarlyBirds
Open Innovation Ecosystem
Available Now

Phronesis is an authorized partner of the EarlyBirds Open Innovation Ecosystem — a structured platform connecting organizations with vetted, emerging technology solutions from innovators across the global defense and commercial ecosystem.

For defense organizations, primes, and government clients seeking to accelerate technology discovery and evaluation, EarlyBirds provides a proven framework for structured open innovation — complementing Phronesis advisory services with a scalable, technology-enabled solution pipeline.

  • Access to a curated global ecosystem of defense and dual-use innovators
  • Structured challenge framework — define a problem, discover validated solutions
  • Technology scouting and evaluation support for procurement and R&D teams
  • Accelerates innovation pipeline without internal research overhead
  • Complements OTA, SBIR, and traditional acquisition with non-traditional discovery
  • Deployed by government agencies, primes, and innovation offices globally
Available as a standalone platform engagement or integrated within a Phronesis advisory retainer.
The Phronesis Approach

Four Questions. One Path Forward.

The Phronesis Approach — Four Questions. One Path Forward.

Phronesis provides actionable insight and a practical roadmap to take emerging capabilities from concept to fielded warfighter solutions.

Leadership

Founded by Someone Who Has Done It

Jake Sariñana
Founder & CEO
50 Deployments — Active Duty SOF & JSOC Program Leadership
Program Manager — 300 Personnel, 4 Combat Locations, 13 ISR Aircraft
SETA Program Director & Chief of Staff, Army ISR Task Force
TS/SCI with Polygraph — Active
Service-Disabled Veteran — SDVOSB
EMBA Candidate — Darden School of Business, UVA (2027)
Six Sigma Black Belt

Jake Sariñana is a Special Operations veteran, senior defense executive, and the Founder of Phronesis Research Strategies LLC. With 24+ years spanning the field, the Pentagon, and Capitol Hill — including 50 deployments across active duty SOF and JSOC program leadership — he brings a combination of warfighter credibility, technical depth, and strategic acumen that is genuinely rare in this industry.

As a Program Manager, Jake led a 300-person ISR program across 4 combat locations and 13 aircraft — responsible for the research, development, fielding, and operational employment of airborne intelligence capabilities supporting the nation's most sensitive missions. As SETA Program Director and Chief of Staff for the Army's ISR Task Force, he led research, evaluation, experimentation, and fielding of emerging technology across DoD, IC, and commercial partners — routinely multiplying program impact well beyond allocated budgets through strategic stakeholder alignment across OSD R&E, SCO, SOFWERX, DIU, DARPA, DEVCOM, APFIT, J7, and congressional leadership.

Jake has personally guided multiple defense technology companies through the full acquisition lifecycle — from initial capability development through SBIR and OTA pursuit, prototype fielding, Quick Reaction Capability, and sustained Program of Record. He provided direct advisory support on a multi-billion dollar OSD unmanned systems manufacturing and supply chain strategy, and led a national R&D initiative securing $100M+ in federal investment by building coalitions across government, industry, and academia.

SDVOSB — Pending VetCert
EIN 39-2738575
TX LLC — File No. 806083353
SAM.gov Registration In Process
NAICS 541715
NAICS 541611
NAICS 541330
NAICS 541690
TS/SCI · Polygraph
Frisco, TX
Contact

Let's Talk

Whether you're navigating a defense R&D challenge, building a capture strategy, or looking for a trusted SDVOSB partner — we want to hear from you.

Phone: 720.369.5903
Email: jake@phronesisresearch.com
Web: phronesisresearch.com
Location: Frisco, TX