Latest news with #AFWERX
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Epicore Biosystems Secures $1.2M AFWERX Phase II Contract to Enhance Military Hydration Readiness
Award will help accelerate deployment of Epicore's Connected Hydration® platform to support Air Force operations and training CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicore Biosystems (Epicore) announces it has been selected by AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Department of Air Force, for an SBIR Phase II in the amount of $1.2M focused on its Connected Hydration1 wearable platform to address the personalized hydration management and recovery needs of personnel in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded. Last month, in June 2025, Epicore Biosystems began its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. "This AFWERX collaboration enables Epicore to deploy our Connected Hydration platform in high-risk, mission-critical environments where human performance and thermoregulation are paramount," said Stephen Lee, CTO and Co-Founder of Epicore Biosystems. "Our product roadmap, which is rooted in smart wearables, hydration data analytics, and real-time haptic feedback and recovery, will now help support the evolving needs of airmen, guardians, and military medics operating under extreme conditions." "The AFWERX contract is a significant milestone in our mission to protect those operating in harsh environments, from industrial worksites to national defense operations," said Roozbeh Ghaffari, CEO and Co-Founder of Epicore Biosystems. "This partnership with the DAF reinforces our commitment to real-time hydration and well-being management for operational readiness, resilience, and safety. We're honored to deploy Epicore's latest in smart wearable technology to support our military personnel." "The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government." About Epicore BiosystemsEpicore Biosystems is a digital health company spun out of Northwestern University's Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics and the John Rogers Laboratory. Epicore has developed advanced sweat-sensing wearables that provide real-time personalized health insights. Their clinically validated smart wearable solutions and cloud analytics are deployed globally and licensed by leading Fortune 500 companies and the Department of Defense. To learn more, visit: Follow Epicore on LinkedIn. 1 About AFRLThe Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit About AFWERX As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Epicore Biosystems, Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Auriga Space raises $6M to shoot rockets off an electromagnetic launch track
While U.S.-based companies are launching more payloads into orbit than ever before, they're still limited by the inefficiency of conventional rockets. With rockets, most of the weight is in the propellant, not the payload, and a huge portion of it is burned simply battling Earth's gravity and atmosphere. Auriga Space is aiming to change the launch game. Instead of a first-stage booster, the California-based startup is developing a launch track that will use electricity to power powerful magnets. Those magnets will accelerate a small rocket to over six times the speed of sound. The track's final segment rises on a steep ramp, enabling the rocket to exit at hypersonic speed and only ignite its engine in the final push to orbit. Beyond propellant savings, the entire ground-based architecture is entirely (and rapidly) reusable. 'Less than 2% of the mass of the rocket is what gets into space,' Auriga founder and CEO Winnie Lai explained in a recent interview. 'So our ultimate goal here is to make space launch more efficient, and by increasing efficiency, we believe we can bring down the cost, and we can also enable much more frequent launches.' Electromagnetic launchers are not a new idea: Auriga's architecture is reminiscent to a rail gun or a maglev. But Lai argues that recent advancements in power electronics, especially being able to operate at higher voltages and higher powers, finally make the concept technologically and commercially viable. The company is fueling its ambitions with a previously undisclosed $4.6 million seed round that closed at the beginning of the year and $1.4 million in new AFWERX and SpaceWERX contracts. The capital round was led by European firm OTB Ventures, with participation from Trucks Venture Capital and Seraphim Space. Auriga has raised $12.2 million across VC and DOD grants to-date. The final system architecture, including the tunnel length and rocket size, are still being finalized. Even a very long track will still impart high-G loads on the vehicle, which could limit the types of satellites it can carry. The company has performed some initial studies on the survivability of satellite components under high-G loads that indicate they can survive higher Gs than standard testing assumed, Lai said. Auriga is also considering the opportunity to do 'custom work,' like adding some structure support so objects can withstand the higher Gs, depending on what the customer needs. 'If you look at munitions, you also look at missile launches, those experience very, very, very high Gs,' she said. 'So we're very confident there's payloads up there that could survive our launch environments, but that's still yet to be defined. If we want to bring down the Gs, then we make the launcher longer.' Auriga will go to market first with hypersonic ground testing: this most recent direct-to-phase II Small Business Innovation and Research grant from AFWERX (the company's second) will be used to commercialize an indoor, lab-scale track called Prometheus early next year, and an outdoor accelerator for full-scale hypersonic test articles called Thor. (The orbital launcher is dubbed Zeus.) Customers tell Lai that the lack of affordable, on-demand test infrastructure is one of the main challenges in advancing hypersonic development. Prometheus and Thor aim to fill that gap and provide a market capability that is sorely lacking: customers will be able to perform multiple tests on the same test article under different flight conditions, at a lower cost and higher cadence than what's currently available. It can also perform a number of different tests, like weather testing, aerodynamic tests, and impact testing using the same underlying architecture. The company is also trying to address the demand from the U.S. Space Force for 'responsive' launch, or the ability to launch payloads to orbit with little to no advance notice. While there have been some impressive demonstrations of responsive launch in the past twelve months, with companies like Firefly Space launching a rocket with a 24-hour notice, Auriga wants to shrink that time to a matter of minutes. 'We call an Uber, and we expect the Uber to show up in a matter of minutes,' she said. 'I think that should be the case for space as well.' Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
15-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Auriga Space raises $6M to shoot rockets off an electromagnetic launch track
While U.S.-based companies are launching more payloads into orbit than ever before, they're still limited by the inefficiency of conventional rockets. With rockets, most of the weight is in the propellant, not the payload, and a huge portion of it is burned simply battling Earth's gravity and atmosphere. Auriga Space is aiming to change the launch game. Instead of a first-stage booster, the California-based startup is developing a launch track that will use electricity to power powerful magnets. Those magnets will accelerate a small rocket to over six times the speed of sound. The track's final segment rises on a steep ramp, enabling the rocket to exit at hypersonic speed and only ignite its engine in the final push to orbit. Beyond propellant savings, the entire ground-based architecture is entirely (and rapidly) reusable. 'Less than 2% of the mass of the rocket is what gets into space,' Auriga founder and CEO Winnie Lai explained in a recent interview. 'So our ultimate goal here is to make space launch more efficient, and by increasing efficiency, we believe we can bring down the cost, and we can also enable much more frequent launches.' Electromagnetic launchers are not a new idea: Auriga's architecture is reminiscent to a rail gun or a maglev. But Lai argues that recent advancements in power electronics, especially being able to operate at higher voltages and higher powers, finally make the concept technologically and commercially viable. The company is fueling its ambitions with a previously undisclosed $4.6 million seed round that closed at the beginning of the year and $1.4 million in new AFWERX and SpaceWERX contracts. The capital round was led by European firm OTB Ventures, with participation from Trucks Venture Capital and Seraphim Space. Auriga has raised $12.2 million across VC and DOD grants to-date. The final system architecture, including the tunnel length and rocket size, are still being finalized. Even a very long track will still impart high-G loads on the vehicle, which could limit the types of satellites it can carry. The company has performed some initial studies on the survivability of satellite components under high-G loads that indicate they can survive higher Gs than standard testing assumed, Lai said. Auriga is also considering the opportunity to do 'custom work,' like adding some structure support so objects can withstand the higher Gs, depending on what the customer needs. 'If you look at munitions, you also look at missile launches, those experience very, very, very high Gs,' she said. 'So we're very confident there's payloads up there that could survive our launch environments, but that's still yet to be defined. If we want to bring down the Gs, then we make the launcher longer.' Techcrunch event LIVE NOW! TechCrunch All Stage Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Save $450 on your TechCrunch All Stage pass Build smarter. Scale faster. Connect deeper. Join visionaries from Precursor Ventures, NEA, Index Ventures, Underscore VC, and beyond for a day packed with strategies, workshops, and meaningful connections. Boston, MA | REGISTER NOW Auriga will go to market first with hypersonic ground testing: this most recent direct-to-phase II Small Business Innovation and Research grant from AFWERX (the company's second) will be used to commercialize an indoor, lab-scale track called Prometheus early next year, and an outdoor accelerator for full-scale hypersonic test articles called Thor. (The orbital launcher is dubbed Zeus.) Customers tell Lai that the lack of affordable, on-demand test infrastructure is one of the main challenges in advancing hypersonic development. Prometheus and Thor aim to fill that gap and provide a market capability that is sorely lacking: customers will be able to perform multiple tests on the same test article under different flight conditions, at a lower cost and higher cadence than what's currently available. It can also perform a number of different tests, like weather testing, aerodynamic tests, and impact testing using the same underlying architecture. The company is also trying to address the demand from the U.S. Space Force for 'responsive' launch, or the ability to launch payloads to orbit with little to no advance notice. While there have been some impressive demonstrations of responsive launch in the past twelve months, with companies like Firefly Space launching a rocket with a 24-hour notice, Auriga wants to shrink that time to a matter of minutes. 'We call an Uber, and we expect the Uber to show up in a matter of minutes,' she said. 'I think that should be the case for space as well.'
Business Wire
09-07-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
AIRIA Announces $1.8 Million AFWERX Contract
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIRIA ( announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.8 million focused on Research and Development for AI-Driven Spatial Analytics Solutions to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now in, May 2025, AIRIA will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. AIRIA ( is humbled and excited by the opportunity to develop technology to be used by the United States Air Force to improve situational awareness and operational excellence. Share 'AIRIA is humbled and excited by the opportunity to develop technology to be used by the United States Air Force to improve situational awareness and operational excellence. Our growing team is hard at work, building innovative Operational AI software to help protect American people, personnel and interests in collaboration with the US Air Force.' Edward Nass, CEO The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. About AIRIA AIRIA is an Operational AI company turning real-time signal data into spatial insights for enterprise and government. From campuses to command centers, our software powers smarter operations, live occupancy awareness, and mission-critical decision-making. Founded in 2020, AIRIA is trusted by commercial and DoD customers alike. For more information, visit About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit About AFWERX As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit:
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
AIRIA Announces $1.8 Million AFWERX Contract
NEW YORK, July 09, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIRIA ( announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase II contract in the amount of $1.8 million focused on Research and Development for AI-Driven Spatial Analytics Solutions to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now in, May 2025, AIRIA will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America. "AIRIA is humbled and excited by the opportunity to develop technology to be used by the United States Air Force to improve situational awareness and operational excellence. Our growing team is hard at work, building innovative Operational AI software to help protect American people, personnel and interests in collaboration with the US Air Force." Edward Nass, CEO The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government. About AIRIAAIRIA is an Operational AI company turning real-time signal data into spatial insights for enterprise and government. From campuses to command centers, our software powers smarter operations, live occupancy awareness, and mission-critical decision-making. Founded in 2020, AIRIA is trusted by commercial and DoD customers alike. For more information, visit About AFRLThe Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit About AFWERXAs the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: View source version on Contacts Company Press Contact: Allesandra PlourdeMarketing & Press Leadinfo@ Sign in to access your portfolio
