Where defense gets built.
A curated community of founders, funders, and builders powering the future of national security, infrastructure, and industrial innovation.
What We Believe
We are in the connecting business.
Builder Bay was founded on the belief that putting the right people in the right room accelerates each other's missions and rises the tides for everyone.
At Builder Bay, members don't just share space. They exchange hard-won insights, form strategic partnerships, and build trust that compounds over time. That's the multiplier effect of a real community. And that's why we exist.
This is a place where the next great defense tech company might be sparked over a whiteboard session, a cold brew, or a DoD roundtable.
What You Get
One membership unlocks access to:
1–2 Curated Intros/Month
Strategic connections with founders, funders, engineers, end-users, and mission leaders who can accelerate your work.
Industry Events & Roundtables
Exclusive access to sector-specific events, strategy sessions, and roundtables with key stakeholders.
Private Founder Slack
24/7 access to our vetted community for real-time collaboration, advice, and partnership opportunities.
RTP Newsletter & Job Board
Stay informed with industry insights and access exclusive job opportunities across the defense tech ecosystem.
All Rising Tide Industry Hubs
Cross-sector access to our growing network of vertical founder communities:
Optional desk space via Downtown Works Mission Valley (not included in membership)
How It Works
Getting started is simple
Apply to Join
Submit your application with details about your work, mission, and how you'd contribute to the community.
Get Curated Intros + Community Access
Once approved, immediately access our Slack community and start receiving strategic introductions tailored to your goals.
Plug Into Events, Partnerships, and National Activations
Participate in roundtables, demo days, and strategic sessions that accelerate your mission and expand your network.
In Partnership With SDSU
SDSU is our founding academic partner. This collaboration brings together the university's research excellence with our community's entrepreneurial energy.
Fellows support events, research translation, and innovation engagement, creating bridges between cutting-edge academic research and real-world defense applications.
Powered by Rising Tide Partners
Builder Bay is part of RTP's growing network of vertical founder hubs. This means your membership connects you to a broader ecosystem of innovation across multiple industries.
Members can access events, intros, and communities across all sectors, creating unprecedented opportunities for cross-pollination and collaboration between defense tech and other cutting-edge industries.
Builder Bay is built differently.
We're not for everyone. We're for:
Early-stage defense tech and dual-use founders who are serious about execution.
Engineers, scientists, and end-users working on problems that matter.
Investors, operators, and partners who want proximity to frontier innovation.
This isn't coworking. It's community-powered innovation.
Join Builder Bay to:
Build alongside serious founders solving national security challenges
Meet DoD stakeholders, VCs, and industry leaders in curated settings
Accelerate through trusted feedback, honest intros, and deep collaboration
Be part of a broader movement to rebuild American hard tech
Join Builder Bay Today → $100/month
No desks required. Just builders who care.