Ventures Selected to Delve into Defense Innovation
The selected ventures will spend 10 weeks exploring dual-use applications for their technologies with the DoD.
A cohort of 20 early-stage companies selected for the 2024 National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) Vector program will further develop their commercial innovations for the Department of Defense (DoD) across fields in advanced sensing, contested communications, command and control, data sharing, and resilient position navigation and timing. .
NSIN Vector gives participating teams the tools to pursue business opportunities with the government and develop their early-stage ventures. The program welcomes companies that started in the commercial industry and are interested in exploring the DoD market and companies that began in the DoD market seeking to grow.
Selected from 170 applications, the ventures in the 2024 Vector cohort will work with DoD partners over the next 10 weeks to learn about raising capital, understand federal procurement, conduct market research, and receive more resources to scale their solutions for DoD organizations.
Vector culminates in a showcase event highlighting participants’ achievements working with guidance from DoD mentors during the cohort. Moreover, participants will have numerous opportunities to engage with DoD mentors, including experts from NSIN, and will compete at the showcase event for $50,000 in prizes.
“Team NSIN is excited to welcome a new set of early-stage ventures to the Vector program,” said Abigail Desjardins, NSIN Venture Portfolio Director and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Global Partnerships Deputy Director. “With the help of the Vector’s government and alumni mentors, these teams will grow, gain perspective on dual-use business, and plug into an incredible defense innovation ecosystem. In return, they will provide the DoD with access to leading-edge technologies that have the potential to address key modernization priorities.”
Meet the 2024 NSIN Vector Cohort:
- Aclectic Systems Inc - Integrated software, visual supercomputing platform that the DoD can utilize as a low-cost, low energy solution for accurate physical simulation that is faster than competitors.
- Aerobotics7 - Generated an artificial intelligent (AI)-powered autonomy platform to detect and neutralize landmines, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and other threats in real-time with no human intervention in the field.
- AndrenaM - Built a low-cost sensing systems tol form an interconnected web network, which will gather data to inform autonomous drones to enhance unmanned maritime vehicles through autonomy and monitoring.
- Anuma Aerospace Corporation - Decarbonized long-haul, heavy-lift transportation through a patented technology that replaces the need for helium in existing aerostat and airship programs and providing sustainable solutions to DoD through solutions in weather, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and border security.
- Apiary Systems - Provides large groups of collaborative drones that can autonomously share a live view of the battlefield for military leaders and soldiers, using geospatial intelligence and aerial swarm architectures.
- Better Zinc Batteries - Develops safer, non-flammable, lower-cost flow-assisted Ni-Zn batteries that have longer battery life spans, replacing fossil-fuel options and providing a more sustainable future for the DoD.
- Bold RF - Improved isolation performance radiofrequency (RF), communications, and electronic warfare to enable in-band full duplex (IBFD) wireless links that will increase the DoD’s options for tactical operations.
- Dayton Photonic Systems - Brings private and secure networks to challenging places on earth, through emergency response with temporary networks, which enables the DoD to conduct important communication and connectivity.
- Diffract Technology Inc. - Using adaptive optics to perform 3D sensing, motion control, and display for spatial intelligence through upgrading operations to include high precision measurements for the DoD.
- KMB Telematics Inc - Develops highly customizable drone detection radar that provides the DoD with radar with a fast reaction time through its Active Protection System (APS), hoving drone detection, and drone detection capabilities while operated in motion.
- LeVanta Tech Inc - Provides sea-launched aerial “float-and-fly” drones with longer endurance that enable the DoD to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and relay communications without interruption.
- Mithril Technologies Inc - Advanced satellite reflector antennas to improve space domain awareness to prevent network jamming and electronic warfare, and while monitoring the atmosphere to detect harmful weather systems and understand the internal structure of a potentially damaging storm.
- Neurosmart - Provides a wearable system for the warfighter to monitor stress during combat, allowing warfighters and military officials to improve self awareness and mental resilience for developing de-escalation skills and monitor optimal levels of warfighter stress.
- Oso Semiconductor - Provides a low-cost alternative for chipsets used for wifi and connectivity for military commands in hard-to-reach areas enabling hyper mobile warfighter comms and sensing of the future.
- Precision Terra - Designed a software-defined precision GPS for navigation in challenging environments by improving a GNSS receiver’s ability to track signals and reducing the likelihood of a signal being lost based on terrain.
- SolidIntel Inc - Created a generative AI tool for monitoring supply chain risks, changes in regulation, intelligence that will assist the DoD with ensuring necessary pieces of combat are kept in the hands of the warfighter.
- StarCube - Develop the world’s first nuclear micro reactor for critical infrastructure and crisis response that is both minimal in size and optimal for off-grid applications like remote communities, military bases, and disaster relief.
- Terra Watts - Created cutting-edge wireless power that allows for low-infrastructure global energy transmission and communication, ideal for difficult-to-connect bases.
- Thin Air Nav Corp - On-demand, ground-based positioning for aerial navigation in GPS denied and degraded areas that can assist the DoD with warding off the likelihood of jamming or spoofing from adversaries.
- Ultraview AI - Created an AI-generated drone inspector using Aerial Robotics to provide an effective and efficient aircraft inspection system that allows the military to inspect and get drones deployed quickly.
View the NSIN Vector Lookbook here.
About National Security Innovation Network
NSIN is a program office in the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), nested within the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). We are set up to collaborate with a wide variety of innovators to include universities, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and start-ups. We create opportunities for collaboration across communities and connect those that might not traditionally work in national security. Together, we help drive national security innovation and develop technologies that directly support the individuals responsible for protecting our country.
For more information or interview requests with Team NSIN, please contact us at [email protected].