The Catalyst Accelerator has started soliciting applications from U.S. small businesses and startups with dual-use directed energy and electromagnetic warfare technologies for the Fall 2025 Cohort.
The accelerator said Friday it is seeking EW and DE technologies that could disrupt, deny or destroy adversary assets across all domains.
The Catalyst Accelerator is backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicles Directorate and the U.S. Space Force. It is a collaborative program hosted by the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Learn more about the latest defense tech capabilities and trends at the 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Save your spot now for this Potomac Officers Club-hosted event.
“I’m excited to kick off our next cohort in the fall that revolves around Electromagnetic (EW) and Directed Energy warfare (DEW). These technologies are proving to be instrumental in combating drone warfare in Ukraine, but they also have applicability in space warfare and counter space operations,” said Capt. Skyler Hart, government lead for the Catalyst Accelerator at the Space Force.
“As we look to the future, we need to find innovative ways to disrupt, neutralize or even destroy an adversary’s ability to execute their kill chain. EW and DEW effects are powerful tools to achieve this objective. I look forward to seeing what technologies that the small businesses bring forward to address this critical need,” Hart added.
Table of Contents
Catalyst’s Fall Cohort Topics of Interest
The topics of interest for the Fall 2025 Cohort are artificial intelligence and machine learning implementation and integration; battle management; laser weapon systems; and emerging and novel technologies.
For AI and machine learning, the accelerator is interested in adaptive and predictive EW systems that autonomously adjust jamming techniques; cognitive electronic support; and real-time spectrum analysis and threat identification for radio frequency spectrum.
Directed Energy & Electromagnetic Warfare Accelerator
The Catalyst Accelerator will host a virtual “Ask Me Anything” session on June 18 and accept applications through July 8.
The accelerator will select six to eight companies to participate in the Fall 2025 Cohort, enabling them to connect with government and industry to promote their DE and EW technologies and secure government contracts.
The Space Security Defense Program will serve as the official problem sponsor for the Fall 2025 Cohort, which will begin on Aug. 19 and conclude with a Demo Day event on Nov. 20.
Related Articles
The Senate on Thursday confirmed by voice vote Lt. Gen. Shawn Bratton as the U.S. Space Force’s vice chief of space operations. According to a congressional notice, Bratton, who was nominated to the role in mid-July, will also be promoted to the rank of general. With his confirmation, Bratton replaces Gen. Michael Guetlein, who was named program manager for the Trump administration’s Golden Dome missile defense shield initiative. The GovCon Golden Dome conversation will be in full force at the 2025 Navy Summit in the lunch panel: “Supporting the Shield: Navy’s Role in the Golden Dome Architecture.” This industry-focused panel
Katie Arrington, a previous Wash100 awardee who currently performs the duties of the Department of Defense’s chief information officer, has released a memorandum to help DOD better manage risks facing its information and communications technology supply chain. In the June 5 memo, Arrington said she called for an update of the Requirements for the Acquisition of Digital Capabilities Guidebook concurrent with the Software Fast-Track, or SWFT, initiative development timeline. DOD Software Fast-Track Initiative In April, the acting CIO directed the establishment of the SWFT initiative to advance DOD’s adoption of best practices to transform the way it acquires, tests, authorizes
The Senate voted on Saturday 50-45 to confirm Paige Hallen Hanson as the next U.S. Environmental Protection Agency new chief financial officer. In her role, Hanson will manage EPA’s almost $100 billion allocation and its financial and resource management systems, the agency said in a Monday press release. Commenting on her appointment, Hanson said she was grateful to lead the EPA’s financial operations. “From budgeting to payments, performance measures to financial technology, the work of this talented team enables the critical mission EPA plays in protecting human health and the environment,” she remarked. Who Is Paige Hallen Hanson? Before her