To help bolster the industrial base against potential adversaries, the Defense Department is planning to kick-start its “Trusted Capital Marketplace” project this fall, said the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment Aug. 20.

The effort, which the Pentagon announced earlier this year, is in response to growing concerns about foreign nations such as China investing in U.S. companies and how that could affect national security, said Ellen Lord. The goal is to link technology startups with trusted sources of capital.