Build. Connect. Scale.

At Fuse Arkansas, we partner with growth-stage startups building across commercial and defense use cases in these areas:

  • Supply Chain & Logistics ⚙️

  • Autonomy & Robotics 🚗

  • HealthTech / BioTech 🩺

  • Cybersecurity 📡

  • Critical Infrastructure 🏗️

We connect founders with the customers, capital, and expertise they need to scale faster—bridging commercial success with mission-driven impact.

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Ready to Transform Your Startup?

Join the select group of innovators who are shaping the future of dual-use technology.

⛉ Defense Applications

🌐 Commercial Applications

⚡ Scale-Stage Focus

ACCELERATING THE FUTURE OF

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Fuse Accelerator bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and real-world applications, helping scale-stage startups navigate the unique challenges of dual-use markets.

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Dual-Use Focus

Specializing in technologies that serve both commercial markets and defense applications, maximizing impact and market reach.

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Scale-Stage Ready

Working with startups that have proven product-market fit and are ready to accelerate growth and expand market presence.

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Global Network

Access to government contracts, defense partnerships, and commercial enterprise clients across multiple industries.

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Strategic Guidance

Expert mentorship from industry veterans who understand the complexities of dual-use technology commercialization.

Fuse Arkansas

Accelerating the Future: Strategic Innovation with Purpose

Fuse is building a new model for supporting dual-use innovation—where commercial success and national impact go hand in hand. We partner with founders developing transformative technologies and help them scale through a powerful mix of enterprise access, investor connections, and hands-on support.

Located in Northwest Arkansas, Fuse operates at the heart of one of the country’s most dynamic innovation corridors. The region is anchored by Fortune 500 powerhouses—Walmart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, and ArcBest—and a deep bench of global suppliers and logistics partners. This unique ecosystem gives startups rare proximity to decision-makers and customers across sectors like supply chain, retail, food systems, advanced mobility, and infrastructure.

Our mission is to bridge frontier technologies with real-world market needs. By activating strategic partnerships, connecting capital with capability, and accelerating commercialization pathways, we help startups thrive—and build a future where innovation drives economic strength and global resilience.

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Meet the Team

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    Tom Douglass

    Founder & Managing Partner

    Tom is a leading expert in identifying and implementing emerging technologies within the world’s largest enterprise. As the former Director of Emerging Technology at Walmart Tom assessed hundreds of technologies and companies annually giving him deep insight into how to successfully advance enterprise innovation and scale growth stage startups. Tom is now the founder of Catapult Consulting drawing on his experience and networks to help startups elevate their business with fractional C-level leadership, long and short-term strategy development, product market fit analysis and enterprise relationship management. He actively coaches startups across a variety of sectors including retail, supply chain, health, defense and government, cybersecurity and others drawing on his unique business acceleration program and extensive network. 

    Past Leadership Roles: Walmart, Royal Ahold, Catapult Consulting

    Specialties: Enterprise Readiness, M&A Strategy, GTM

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    Darian Harris

    Founder & Managing Partner

    Darian Harris is a seasoned entrepreneur and growth strategist, passionate about helping startups scale through strategic investments and go-to-market acceleration. Before co-founding Connected Capital, Darian led Fuse Accelerator, where he worked with hundreds of startups to refine their sales, partnerships, and investor readiness.

    His career includes time as a Merchant at Walmart, managing multi-billion-dollar product categories, and a strategic role at The Harvest Group, helping brands optimize their market positioning. With deep expertise in investment strategy and revenue acceleration, Darian ensures Connected Capital’s portfolio companies are positioned for high-growth and successful exits.

    Past Leadership Roles: Fuse Accelerator, Walmart, The Harvest Group

    Specialties: Startup Scaling, GTM strategy, Fundraising, Investor Relations

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    Melissa Silvia

    Head of Comms

    Founder & CEO - Silvia Communications

    Melissa is a successful and forward-thinking communication strategist with a broad and diverse background in communication strategy development and implementation. With extensive experience in independent consulting, executive brand management, internal communications, speechwriting, and high-performance team development, Melissa excels at crafting impactful strategies that drive organizational success.

    Empathetic and collaborative, she brings a team-oriented approach to her work, leveraging her strong interpersonal skills to help leaders create dynamic and effective communication strategies. Melissa is dedicated to aligning messaging with business goals, ensuring cohesive communication across all levels of an organization.

    As a key contributor to long-term organizational prosperity, she specializes in analyzing current communication strategies and developing a clear roadmap to guide future success, empowering organizations to strengthen their messaging and achieve their objectives.