The National Security Innovation Network Propel program enables commercial startups with emerging technologies to solve real-world problems for the Department of Defense

Decisive Point and Newlab today announced the cohort of companies selected to participate in the NSIN Propel program. In partnership with the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the NSIN Propel program enables the development of next-generation applications of emerging technology for government, defense, and space.

Located at Newlab’s 84,000 square-foot flagship location in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the program helps early-stage companies succeed in finding pathways to enter and scale their technologies in the federal market. The four-month acceleration program provides product development resources, access to a network of advisors and investors, and opportunities for direct engagement with the Air Force Research Laboratory and broader DoD community.

During NSIN Propel, the cohort companies will iterate on proofs of concept for national security applications of their advanced computing, 5G and connectivity, and space and AI/ML technologies. Founders will also learn tangible skills to navigate the complexities of entering and succeeding in the federal market. The program culminates in a demo day event with the end goal of attracting investment from trusted private capital and government end-users seeking further engagement with the cohort.

“Now that we are in the second year of NSIN Propel, we have established a meaningful network of founders, technologists, commercial partners, and government stakeholders dedicated to strengthening the national security innovation base,” said Ryan Benitez, Partner at Decisive Point.

Companies from last year’s cohort have secured more than $9.3M in government funding for research and development and more than $45M in private capital investment since joining the NSIN Propel network a year ago. Macro-Eyes, an alumnus of NSIN Propel, leveraged the program to secure seed investment and has since expanded their AI solution for predictive supply chain to customers in the Air Force and Army. “The support and exposure we got at NSIN Propel directly contributed to the hire of two directors and the opportunity to run our technology live with the 125th Air National Guard Special Tactics Squadron. We also received catalytic funding through NSIN that set off a $10M investment round,” said Drew Arenth, Chief Business Officer at Macro-Eyes.

“We are excited to announce the new company cohort selected to participate in NSIN Propel and further build upon our longstanding collaboration with NSIN and Decisive Point,” said Satish Rao, CPO of Newlab. “This initiative brings together Decisive Point’s expertise in national security and Newlab’s experience facilitating transformative innovation to enable new, dual-use technology solutions with potentially significant implications for government, defense, and space.”

In May 2022, NSIN Propel announced a national open call inviting early-stage ventures to apply to the program. Representatives from the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, joint commands, and Department of Homeland Security competitively selected the cohort of emerging technology startups. The selected companies bring already validated technologies with commercial applications that NSIN Propel will help to position for DoD use cases.

The 2022 NSIN Propel cohort:

• Allosense is an Internet-of-Things (IoT) company that makes advanced sensors and measurement solutions for logistics and manufacturing. Allosense’s “always connected” asset tracker is a patented sensor capability that leverages 5G cellular, satellite, and mesh communication modes for providing detailed monitoring of aerospace equipment. Currently, Allosense serves three Air Force bases and some of the largest Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturers in the US.
• BlueSpace.ai provides an independent safety system for scalable deployment of autonomy, both on and off-road. Provides 100x accuracy and reaction time that surpasses industry standards. Also, removes dependencies saving time and capital, as it does not require prior training data nor HD mapping. Ready to deploy globally now. http://bit.ly/BlueSpaceDemos
• Distributed Spectrum has engineered a modular RF situational awareness platform to detect, classify, and localize RF transmitters across a variety of environments. Their platform will help customers identify disruptions within key radio systems, characterize unknown devices, and track assets across broad geographic areas.
• Ditto is a cross-platform peer-to-peer (P2P) database that allows apps to sync with and without network connectivity. The Ditto Intelligent Edge Platform enables nearly any type of edge computing system to share data in real-time without relying on a central server.
• Heights Labs is building an actionable blockchain intelligence platform that tracks blockchain transactions linked to criminal activity. Heights Labs’ platform offers a suite of tools uniquely capable of analyzing entire blockchains, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum, tracing all funds to known and unknown illicit actors on the blockchain, providing auditable chains of custody, and detecting patterns of money laundering and other illicit activities.
• InfraLytiks is a data analytics and software development company specializing in proprietary machine learning, computer vision, and AI. They employ real-time and server/cloud-based data processing of HD images, thermography, LiDAR, and telemetry data from sources including smartphones, cameras, drones, vehicles, telescopes, and satellites.
• Lucy works as an Answer Engine(SM), giving the right answer to the right person, at the right time. Their answers come from information that populates enterprise systems (e.g., SharePoint, Teams, Box, Confluence, etc.) based on their permissions. Answers are delivered through a web app or existing messaging apps like Teams, Slack, Google Chat and more.
• Nebula Compute is a space technology company launching ServerSats.
• NeuTigers is an Edge-AI startup combining sensing devices, synthetic data augmentation, and deep machine learning neural networks optimization to enable the deployment of smart edge applications in resource-constrained devices.
• Notch develops electronically controllable radio frequency metamaterials that are lightweight and low power for applications in defense and telecommunications. Notch’s metamaterials can be controlled in software enabling phased array capabilities, anti-jamming protection and absorption of RF energy on aircraft, ground/sea vehicles, and satellites.
• PeakMetrics uses narrative identification and attribution to defend against adversarial information operations campaigns through its integrated AI/ML platform. PeakMetrics is able to monitor, analyze, and predict growing narratives in order to aid in the response to disinformation.
• RadiantNano is developing next-generation scintillator technology for radiation detection, identification, and imaging. Their solution enables portable, flexible, industrial radiography, medical imaging with lower radiation doses for patients, and precise identification of nuclear material.
• SCOUT is a space tech company developing autonomous proximity operations and spacecraft awareness services to enable a new era of space safety and transparency. They have developed dual-use, autonomous imaging solutions for rendezvous and proximity operations, satellite servicing, space traffic management, and orbital debris detection.
• Sentenai is a software company that delivers autonomous data engineering solutions for real-time decision-making in dynamic, data-driven environments. Their data fusion platform unifies data from disparate operational sources automatically, making both real-time and historical data available; the platform enables data-centric real-time analysis and broad strategic decision-making.
• Shabodi is building a platform to help enterprises, system integrators and service providers build & deploy next-generation applications on 5G. Shabodi is first to market with an AEP (Application Enablement Platform) that accelerates and deployment of 5G aware applications, irrespective of the underlying network for Enterprises, System Integrators and Telcos.

About Decisive Point

Decisive Point is a venture capital firm investing in deep-tech innovations for security, health, energy, and infrastructure. Decisive Point’s mission is to solve tough problems that matter, supporting mission-driven startups and amplifying our investments with public R&D funding. Decisive Point leads federal acquisitions strategy, non-dilutive funding capture, and engagement with stakeholders across the federal enterprise, allowing founders to focus on building their business and scaling in commercial markets.

About Newlab

Newlab advances technologies that support the health of the planet. Newlab acts as a facilitator, connector, and translator for its community of experts and innovators, helping to build, test, and scale world-changing ideas through investment, venture building, and structured collaboration with industry and government partners.

About NSIN

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) is a program of the U.S. Department of Defense that collaborates with major universities and the venture community to develop solutions that drive national security innovation. NSIN operates three portfolios of programs and services: National Service, Collaboration, and Acceleration. Together, these portfolios form a pipeline of activities and solutions that accelerate the pace of defense innovation. For more information, visit: nsin.mil.