SPARTA is curated and invite-only, and we review every startup and scaleup individually. As a guide, we look for three things. First, technology that is a clear step beyond the status quo and upgrades an existing defence capability once deployed. Second, a company that has passed early development, generally TRL 6 or above, though this depends on the product category and on when commercialisation typically starts there. Third, initial commercial traction, with the product already being qualified together with customers. Our role is not to create traction but to accelerate it. These criteria are a guideline, not a guarantee of a place. Final selection rests with the SPARTA team.