Investment Criteria

Four Prerequisites.
No Exceptions.

Bellator's investment criteria are not a checklist to be scored or weighted. They are binary thresholds. A company that satisfies three of four will not be considered until the fourth is achieved.

Step One

Non-Negotiable
Prerequisites

Every company Bellator considers must satisfy all four of the following prerequisites. These are verified at the time of initial inquiry. A company that meets two of four will not be considered until the third is achieved. Partial satisfaction does not exist within Bellator's framework.

Prerequisite 01

Top Secret Facility Clearance (FCL) — Unsponsored

The company must hold an active, DCSA-granted Top Secret Facility Clearance that is unsponsored. Sponsored or interim clearances do not qualify. The clearance must be in good standing with no open adverse actions or reporting deficiencies at the time of inquiry.

Verification Standard Active DCSA-granted TS FCL confirmed via DISS. Sponsored or interim clearances do not qualify. Clearance must be in good standing with no open adverse actions or reporting deficiencies.
Prerequisite 02

Headquarters or Majority of Operations in Tampa, FL

The company's principal place of business must be at a Tampa, Florida address, OR there must be documented evidence that 50% or more of employees, cleared personnel, and operational activity is conducted from the Tampa / MacDill AFB corridor. P.O. Box registrations do not qualify.

Verification Standard Principal place of business at a Tampa, FL address, OR documented evidence that 50%+ of employees, cleared personnel, and operational activity is conducted from Tampa / MacDill AFB corridor. P.O. Box registrations do not qualify.
Prerequisite 03

At Least One Active Prime U.S. Government Contract Award

The company must hold a current, active prime contract — FAR-based, OTA, or SBIR Phase II — where the company is the prime contractor on a direct government award. Subcontract agreements, teaming arrangements, or task orders under a prime held by another entity do not qualify.

Verification Standard A current, active prime contract (FAR-based, OTA, or SBIR Phase II) where the company is the prime contractor on a direct government award. Subcontract agreements, teaming arrangements, or task orders under another entity's prime do not qualify.
Prerequisite 04

QSBS-Qualified Business (IRC §1202)

The company must be a domestic C corporation with $75 million or less in gross assets, with 80% or more of assets employed in an active qualified trade or business. Eligible industries primarily include manufacturing, retail, wholesale, technology, and biotechnology. The business must meet these requirements at the time of investment.

Verification Standard Domestic C corporation with $75 million or less in gross assets and use of ≥80% of assets in an active qualified trade or business, meeting IRC §1202 requirements at time of investment.
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Important Notice

Bellator does not provide investment decisions, term sheets, or letters of intent to companies that do not satisfy all four prerequisites at the time of initial review. Companies currently satisfying two or three prerequisites are encouraged to address outstanding requirements and re-engage when qualified.

Step Two — Qualitative Filters

Target Sector Focus

Within the universe of companies satisfying all four prerequisites, Bellator applies sector filters as qualitative criteria. A company in a non-target sector will not be considered regardless of prerequisite satisfaction.

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Advanced Analytics Applied to intelligence and operations — not commercial or consumer applications
C4I Software & Systems Command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence software and systems
Cybersecurity & Zero-Trust Architecture Classified network solutions and zero-trust security for cleared government environments
GEOINT, ISR Data Processing & Multi-INT Fusion Geospatial intelligence platforms and multi-source intelligence fusion systems
Logistics, Sustainment & Operational Planning Software Purpose-built tools for SOF and Geographic Combatant Command customers
Training, Simulation & Synthetic Environment Platforms Mission rehearsal and training platforms designed for SOF requirements
Cleared Professional & Technical Services Services firms with proprietary methodologies or tools — not commodity cleared staffing
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) & Counter-UAS Technology UAS and C-UAS systems meeting SOF mission requirements in contested environments
Stage & Size

Where Bellator Focuses

Bellator's sweet spot is the post-contract, pre-scale inflection point — companies that have proven the government will pay, but have not yet built the infrastructure to grow at scale.

Pre-Revenue → $5M ARR
Target revenue range at time of initial investment
Revenue quality: 80% or more from prime government contracts preferred. Subcontract revenue is acceptable as a minority of the revenue mix but does not substitute for prime contract volume.
Team Requirements

Leadership
Qualifications

Bellator does not invest in technology. It invests in teams that can identify, win, and execute government contracts in the most demanding security environments in the world.

  • At least one founder or C-suite executive holds an active TS/SCI clearance with direct USSOCOM or IC operational experience — not contractor experience supporting those organizations.
  • The leadership team demonstrates documented capture management capability: the ability to identify, pursue, shape, and win competitive government contract awards.
  • The organization has demonstrated or has a credible plan for organizational commitment to cleared talent development and DCSA compliance at scale.
  • Executive leadership is engaged and retained — Bellator does not invest in companies where the founding team has disengaged or where C-suite roles are unfilled at the time of investment.
Engagement Process

How to Engage Bellator

01

Self-Qualify

Review all four prerequisites and the sector focus list. If your company satisfies every prerequisite and operates in a target sector, proceed to step two. If not, address outstanding requirements first.

02

Submit an Inquiry

Complete the contact form and provide a brief description of your company, current revenue, FCL status, and government contract portfolio. Do not share classified information in initial correspondence.

03

Principal Review

All inquiries are reviewed directly by the principals. Qualified companies will be contacted to schedule an initial call. Bellator does not use screening staff or investment analysts for initial review.

Does Your Company Qualify?

All four prerequisites satisfied. Sector confirmed. Submit your inquiry directly to the principals.

Submit an Inquiry