ALEXANDRIA, VA — November 11, 2026 — Polaris Semiconductor was one of 18 startups selected for FORGE 2026, the annual investor gathering organized by VC in DC, the Mid-Atlantic’s largest venture community. The companies were chosen from more than 275 applicants and met with investors on October 28 in National Landing, Arlington, Virginia.
FORGE brings investors together with young companies building defense and dual-use technology, meaning products that serve both government and commercial customers. VC in DC calls it “where capital meets the companies the country depends on.” According to VC in DC, companies that have taken part since FORGE began in March 2025 have gone on to close 28 funding rounds totaling more than $115 million.
This year’s companies were chosen by a selection committee of 19 investors and industry leaders, including representatives of Lockheed Martin Ventures, Booz Allen Ventures, SAIC Ventures, Sands Capital, Noblis Ventures, and HawkEye 360.
At the event
Dr. Matthew Lumb, Co-Founder and CEO, represented Polaris at FORGE. At the company’s table, he showed investors working hardware alongside the September issue of Microwave Journal, which featured Polaris’ technology.
Polaris develops voltage regulators, the components that deliver steady power to sensitive electronics. The company’s Enhanced Linear Regulators (ELRs) supply power with very low electrical noise while recycling energy that a conventional linear regulator would waste as heat. Satellites, communications equipment, and scientific instruments all depend on power of that kind.
The selection came in the same year that Polaris welcomed its first private investors through the ISS National Laboratory’s 2026 Orbital Edge Accelerator.
Polaris Semiconductor thanks Matt Gittleman, Bill Collier, and the VC in DC team, the members of the selection committee, and the partners and sponsors who made FORGE 2026 possible. More information on FORGE is available at vcindc.com/forge.
About Polaris Semiconductor
Polaris Semiconductor develops advanced DC voltage regulators optimized for ultra-low electrical noise, compact integration, and high efficiency across aerospace, defense, RF, precision sensing, instrumentation, and high-performance computing sectors. Based in Alexandria, VA, the company’s mission is to break through conventional limits in DC power design.
More information: www.polarissemiconductor.com