---
title: "Today, as Arkenstone Defense exits stealth, I’m proud to finally share my role as Cofounder and COO. 💪"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/a4903760-1469-4b82-a44b-3dd26082da02
source_url: "https://www.linkedin.com/posts/williamtreseder_today-as-arkenstone-defense-exits-stealth-ugcPost-7480335904960598016-852z/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&rcm=ACoAAAI21ZsBNnZPaKuTab7nquKLCveUW7o-1DE"
stack: https://stacklist.com/stack/5303d1d0-ce26-4ee3-97dc-54e9f21787d5
summary: "Arkenstone Defense, a new startup founded by William Treseder and team, exits stealth mode to help defense technology companies navigate complex federal compliance requirements including CMMC, DCAA, ITAR, and FedRAMP. The company provides secure, compliant operating infrastructure to reduce barriers for defense founders entering the government market."
tags: "defense-tech, startup, compliance, national-security, government-contracting, back-office, venture"
key_entities: "William Treseder (person), Arkenstone Defense (organization), Peter R Dixon (person), Rachel Olney (person), Dara Treseder (person), Peter Newell (person), Steve Blank (person), BMNT (organization), Tectonic (organization), CMMC (concept), DCAA (concept), ITAR (concept), FedRAMP (concept), FOCI (concept), United States (location), Arkenstone Defense stealth mode exit (event)"
classification: "memo"
content_hash: "sha256:e1559f630308a485769608e94fec72901683dfb9f9cb326603c43e2aabc872dc"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 1281
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Today, as Arkenstone Defense exits stealth, I’m proud to finally share my role as Cofounder and COO. 💪

William Treseder 3h Report this post Today, as Arkenstone Defense exits stealth, I’m proud to finally share my role as Cofounder and COO. 💪 For most of my adult life, I’ve worked at the intersection of national security, technology, entrepreneurship, and government. I’ve worked with warfighters, civil servants, founders, investors, executives, engineers, and operators who are all trying, in their own way, to help the country move faster. Along the way, from many different angles, I’ve also seen the same problem repeat itself. Defense founders with extraordinary products keep struggling to gain access to the federal market. Achieving scale in national security forces each company to fulfill the complex compliance, security, workforce, and contracting requirements. I’ve seen venture investors underwrite ambitious companies that need to move at startup speed, only to run into government requirements that move at an entirely different pace. The hardest lesson is this: the best products don’t win. It takes too long and costs too much for new entrants to break into the defense market. There are remarkable companies building software, hardware, autonomy, cyber tools, space systems, analytics platforms, and services that matter. There are serious founders and operators who want to serve the mission. There is more private capital, more talent, and more energy flowing into national security than at any point I have seen in my career. And still, it is too hard. Too hard to understand what readiness actually requires. Too hard to navigate CMMC, DCAA, ITAR, FedRAMP, FOCI, facility & personnel clearances, HR, payroll, benefits, audits, and flowdowns, all while trying to build a great product and win real contracts. That is why we built Arkenstone. We help serious companies build for national security with confidence. Not recklessly, and not by cutting corners. We help our partners make a clear-eyed assessment of the requirements in front of them, then give them the secure, compliant operating infrastructure the government requires. Our belief is simple: the companies equipping the mission should spend more of their energy on customers, products, delivery, and growth—and less of it stitching together disconnected back-office functions that drain momentum. This is personal for me because I have watched hundreds of attempts to cross the Valley of Death. Some failed because the product was not good enough, but most failed because the journey was too slow and too expensive. I’m grateful to be building Arkenstone with Peter R Dixon , Rachel Olney , and an extraordinary team of operators, engineers, security professionals, and mission-focused builders. I'm also grateful to mentors such as amazing wife Dara Treseder , my BMNT cofounder Peter Newell , and Steve Weinstein and Steve Blank . Our goal is not to make national security work easy. It will never be easy. Our goal is to make it navigable, impactful, and worthy of the companies trying to serve. Onward 🇺🇸 424 137 Comments Like Comment Share Copy LinkedIn Facebook X William Treseder 3h Report this comment Check out the full story from Tectonic 's Barratt Dewey here: https://www.tectonicdefense.com/exclusive-arkenstone-emerges-with-35m-to-build-defense-techs-back-office / Like Reply 12 Reactions 13 Reactions Brandi Singer 3h Report this comment So proud to be a part of this team! Like Reply 1 Reaction 2 Reactions W. Ethan Eagle 3h Report this comment Having had very relevant conversations related to this for the past five years, I hope you find your product market fit. I saw the problem acutely, but never a solution that fit. Most solutions were info dumps, timelines and compliance information and maybe training. This looks like a ‘done for you’ type solution- will be interesting to see how you scale cost and support with effort or revenue or complexity. Also reminds me of ‘EOS’ as an ‘installable’ common language for operations. With the right deal flow- a common architecture could make acquisition and due diligence easier for exits and MnA…. Like Reply 1 Reaction 2 Reactions Dara Treseder 3h Report this comment William Treseder , I am soooo proud of you and the entire Arkenstone Defense team! I've had the privilege of seeing the passion and dedication behind this journey, and I know the best is yet to come! Onwards and upwards! 🇺🇸❤️ Like Reply 8 Reactions 9 Reactions Julie ReynoldsLong 3h Report this comment Excited for what is ahead. Like Reply 1 Reaction 2 Reactions Peter Newell 3h Report this comment Congrats. Looking forward to watching this journey! Like Reply 4 Reactions 5 Reactions Scott Harrington 1h Report this comment The constructive collaboration in this team of experts and builders is something to behold each and every day! Like Reply 1 Reaction 2 Reactions Daniel P. 2h Report this comment Congratulations William Treseder ! Great news here. Definitely another win for Marine Innovation Unit . Semper Fi 🇺🇸🫡 Like Reply 1 Reaction 2 Reactions See more comments To view or add a comment, sign in