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Six Startups Selected for 14th Catalyst Accelerator Cohort
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Six Startups Selected for 14th Catalyst Accelerator Cohort

The Catalyst Accelerator has revealed the six companies that will be participating in its 14th cohort, which is focused on Space-Based Joint Spectrum. 

The program said Wednesday the six startups were chosen after undergoing a selection process conducted by the Catalyst Accelerator team with guidance from government, industry and academia experts.

The selected companies and their specialties are:

  • Authentrics.ai: Offers a patent-pending service for existing AI/ML pipelines for measuring, controlling and explaining AI through direct neural network and transformer analysis
  • Geist Robotics: Focuses on using electronic warfare for low-cost, portable air defense against drones and airborne threats
  • Origami Space Development: Utilizes generative design and machine learning to develop deployable radio frequency and light detection and ranging architectures for satellite communications and intelligence
  • Orion Edge Group: Advancing navigation warfare capabilities for electromagnetic spectrum dominance
  • Pulsar Space Systems: Measures the ionosphere’s response to solar inputs using in-situ plasma and neutral density instruments
  • Spin Drift Technologies: Develops data transfer outside of traditional radio, microwave or infrared spectrums for modern electronic warfare environments

Space-Based Joint Spectrum Cohort

The Space-Based Joint Spectrum cohort, the first in partnership with the Army Research Laboratory, will gather twice a month from Jan. 28 to April 5, 2025. The six startups will work with subject matter experts and engage with government and commercial partners and undergo a customer discovery process. The companies will present their projects on Demo Day, which will be held on April 24.

The 13th Space Domain Awareness Cohort focused on space launch custody, classifying uncorrelated tracks, classification of object types, operator decision aids, predictive analytics and other areas.

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Commerce Dept Funds Akash Systems’ Semiconductor Facility
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Commerce Dept Funds Akash Systems’ Semiconductor Facility

The U.S. Department of Commerce has invested up to $18.2 million in Akash Systems for the construction of a new semiconductor manufacturing facility.

The department said Wednesday it signed a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms with the Oakland-based startup to turn an existing building’s 40,000-square-foot cleanroom space into a new manufacturing facility. The proposed project will be funded under the CHIPS and Science Act. It will also receive funding from Akash, venture capital firms and other private investors.

Akash Systems’ New Semiconductor Facility

The new semiconductor facility will be utilized for manufacturing diamond cooling substrates, devices and systems at scale. It will be constructed in West Oakland, California and will cost a total of $121 million. The proposed project is expected to generate up to 400 new jobs in direct manufacturing and construction.

Akash Systems will utilize its understanding of semiconductor technologies, particularly its own innovations, in serving crucial end markets including defense and communications. The company specializes in integrating synthetic diamond substrates with compound semiconductor materials like gallium nitride.

What Is Diamond Cooling?

Diamond cooling technology is an emerging technology developed by Akash. It is used to enhance the thermal performance of semiconductors, especially in challenging environments. It helps manage the heat dissipation of semiconductor devices in high-performance systems.

Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, stated, “Through this proposed investment in Akash, we are taking a critical step forward to fulfill that mission. With the support of this proposed funding, the Biden-Harris Administration is helping to accelerate innovation, advance U.S. technology leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and spur good-paying jobs and increased economic opportunities.”

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Verizon to Advance Knightscope’s Security Robot Capabilities
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Verizon to Advance Knightscope’s Security Robot Capabilities

Verizon Business will provide 4G LTE connectivity to the K5 autonomous security robots of Knightscope under a partnership agreement between the two firms. Their collaboration also includes Verizon connectivity integration for Knightscope’s wireless emergency communication devices, or ECDs, for first responders, Verizon said Wednesday.

Knightscope’s K5 robots hold a moderate authority to operate under the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, a security compliance endorsed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

First Responders’ Tool

FedRAMP authorization has also been granted to the Knightscope’s ECDs—K1 Blue Light Tower and Blue Light E-Phones—covered by the partnership agreement. The devices are designed for 24/7 independent operations to provide first responders with voice connectivity, alerts and illumination. With the Verizon-Knightscope partnership, first responders using the ECDs will gain access to the Verizon Frontline network.

The 4G Verizon connectivity for the Knightscope security robots, planned for an upgrade to 5G, enables real-time data transmission and monitoring in the ASRs’ patrols even during extreme weather conditions.

William Santana Li, Knightscope CEO, said that the company’s robots are transforming their safety and security capabilities with the integration of Verizon’s connectivity.

“Additionally, Verizon is enabling Knightscope to provide one-touch access to services such as police, fire and EMS at hospitals, universities and corporate campuses in times of danger, personal crisis or medical emergencies,” he noted.

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NIST Soliciting Input on Enhanced Protection for CUI
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NIST Soliciting Input on Enhanced Protection for CUI

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is seeking comments on the initial public draft of its proposed protection measures on the confidentiality of controlled unclassified information, or CUI, of high asset value or critical in nonfederal systems. 

The measures are designed for federal agencies’ screening of agreements or contracts with nonfederal organizations, NIST said Wednesday. The draft’s recommendations strengthen organizations’ defense capability against advanced persistent threats and help ensure system resilience, the agency added. 

Stronger Countermeasures Against Cyberattacks

Compiled in the NIST Special Publication 800-172r3, titled “Enhanced Security Requirements for Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information,” the proposed mechanisms include additional and stronger countermeasures based on the latest threat intelligence and cyberattack data.

New security requirements were also included for consistency with NIST’s updated guidance on CUI protection, released in May. The new measures in the public draft cover planning, system and services acquisition, and supply chain risk management. In addition, the draft further spelled out security requirements to clear ambiguity and pave the way for better implementation.

Comments on the draft are open for submission to 800-171comments@list.nist.gov until Jan. 10, 2025.

MITRE Offers Supply Chain Resilience Recommendations
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MITRE Offers Supply Chain Resilience Recommendations

MITRE, a not-for-profit corporation offering defense and cybersecurity services, has made recommendations for the incoming administration on enhancing the resilience of the United States’ supply chains.

The company said Tuesday it has published a paper detailing the vulnerabilities of the supply chain. It has also identified the possible factors that will help build resilience in the nation’s complex, global supply chain systems.

Supply Chain Issues, Findings and Recommendations

Supply chains are crucial for the country’s economic prosperity, national security and public health. Supply chains need to be stable and reliable. However, they are vulnerable to disruptions. That is why it is necessary to enhance the supply chain’s resilience, or ability to bounce back from such disruptions.

To address these vulnerabilities, the cross-MITRE team evaluated the supply chain trends and gathered insights from federal government sectors, private industry and the research community.

The team recommends the government prioritize establishing and maintaining relationships with industry and international partners. It also suggests that supply chain diversity should be considered. Finally, MITRE believes that increasing the visibility of supply chain operations and participants will help promote resilience.

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Trump Says He Will Nominate John Ratcliffe as Next CIA Chief
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Trump Says He Will Nominate John Ratcliffe as Next CIA Chief

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has selected John Ratcliffe as the next director of the Central Intelligence Agency, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Former Director of National Intelligence

Ratcliffe had served as representative of the 4th Congressional District of Texas during the 114th, 115th and 116th Congress. In 2020, he resigned to serve as director of national intelligence, a position he would hold until 2021, when Trump’s first term ended.

Ratcliffe’s nomination by Trump in 2020 for DNI was his second. Trump had sought to appoint him to the position in 2019 but members of Congress expressed concern regarding his relative inexperience. At the time, Ratcliffe was the House Intelligence Committee’s most junior member and had only served on the panel for six months.

Recent Professional Roles

More recently, Ratcliffe served as co-chair of the think tank Center for American Security. He also offered Trump advice regarding national security policy during his recent presidential campaign.

Regarding the nomination, the president-elect said in a statement, “I look forward to John being the first person ever to serve in both of our Nation’s highest Intelligence positions. He will be a fearless fighter for the Constitutional Rights of all Americans, while ensuring the Highest Levels of National Security, and PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.”

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Ann Lewis Steps Down as Division Director at GSA
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Ann Lewis Steps Down as Division Director at GSA

Ann Lewis is stepping down as director of the Technology Transformation Services and deputy commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration.

The agency said Tuesday Lewis will leave on Nov. 22 and Mukunda Penugonde, TTS deputy director, will assume the role of acting director of the division.

Lewis first joined GSA in December 2022 as director of TTS. She oversaw the agency’s digital services ensuring the delivery of technical services across multiple government agencies nationwide.

Ann Lewis’ Pre-GSA Career

The executive’s career spans two decades beginning with stints as a software engineer for Amazon, EcoInteractive, Rosetta Stone and various startups. She then served as director of engineering at Pedago and chief technology officer of MoveOn.org. 

Lewis also held the CTO role at Next Street before joining the Small Business Administration as senior advisor for technology and delivery. During her almost two years of service at SBA, she oversaw the agency’s technology strategy, modernization and capacity building efforts. She also supervised the delivery and technology strategy of the American Rescue Plan program.

GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said, “Under Ann’s leadership, TTS has helped deliver better digital services to millions of Americans, all while keeping our values of secure, accessible and responsible technology top of mind.”

“We have grown, scaled and matured the organization and key programs like Login.gov and FedRAMP,” said Lewis. “Every day, we’ve shown that innovation is possible in government, and that we can pragmatically bring best practices and expertise from the private sector into government in ways that actually work and make government more effective.”

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US, Allies Warn Against Zero-Day Vulnerability Exploits
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US, Allies Warn Against Zero-Day Vulnerability Exploits

Enterprise networks with zero-day vulnerabilities were the main targets of malicious cyber actors in 2023, according to a joint cybersecurity advisory from U.S., Australian, British and New Zealand government agencies.

The advisory listed the top 15 common vulnerabilities and exposures, or CVEs, from last year and noted that 11 of them were initially exploited as a zero day, a system vulnerability unknown to its owner, developer and the general public, the National Security Agency said Tuesday.

Cybersecurity Best Practices

Jeffrey Dickerson, NSA’s cybersecurity technical director, warned network defenders that the malicious actors may continue to exploit such vulnerabilities until 2025. To prevent zero-day vulnerability attacks, he advised the defenders to be attentive to cybersecurity threat trends and act swiftly to ensure vulnerabilities are patched and mitigated.

Other recommendations include prioritizing secure-by-default configurations, implementing a centralized patch management system, using security tools and asking software providers about their secure-by-design programs to protect enterprise networks from cyberattacks.

NSA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, the New Zealand National Cyber Security Centre and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre are among the advisory’s authors.

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DOD Approves Private 5G Network Deployment Strategy
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DOD Approves Private 5G Network Deployment Strategy

The Department of Defense has signed a strategy covering the deployment of private 5G networks at military installations. Private 5G is expected to augment or supplement commercial 5G, the DOD said Tuesday.

Objectives of the Strategy

The strategy, titled DOD Private 5G Deployment Strategy, seeks to address three agency objectives. The first involves the DOD seeking to align private 5G infrastructure with the missions of each installation. The 2nd objective involves DOD seeking to accelerate the secure deployment of 5G, both commercial and private. The third objective involves the expansion of an open radio access network ecosystem.

Enabling DOD Modernization

The latest issuance, signed on Oct. 16, builds on prior agency guidance regarding 5G, namely the DOD 5G Strategy and the DOD 5G Strategy Implementation Plan. The technology’s implementation is seen as a key enabler of the agency’s modernization efforts and is expected to provide high-speed connectivity for mobile capabilities that address mission as well as quality of life needs.

Addressing Unique Installation Needs

The need for a strategy specific to private 5G networks stems from the recognition that commercial 5G might not always be able to address a facility’s specific requirements. Private networks can be tailored to meet such needs.

Additional implementation guidance and reference documents are expected to be issued in the coming months.

DOD Approves Private 5G Network Deployment Strategy

Join the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 5G Summit, which will tackle various topics like 5G at the edge, how 5G supports the DOD’s CJADC2 efforts, 5G-powered warfighting capabilities and more. The event will take place on Feb. 27, 2025.

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VA Issues RFI for Product Development Support Services
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VA Issues RFI for Product Development Support Services

The Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking industry input on potential organizations to provide product development support for critical and non-critical applications and products in the department’s Vendor Resource Management, or VRM, product line that are meant to enhance new and existing veteran experience services.

According to the request for information posted on SAM.gov, the support services covers software development, product security management and information technology operations and maintenance services. The contracting party will also provide product and delivery management, systems architecture design, user research and feedback and user experience strategy. Further more, the potential contract will also include interaction design, accessibility analysis and mitigation of defects, integration support and data analytics.

VA’s Software Development Process

The department utilizes the DevSecOps software engineering approach that combines software development, security and software operation. This culture-based methodology promotes collaboration between businesses and IT organizations and streamlines the development, deployment and management of the company’s applications. In addition, the approach boosts the use of self-service tools and ideally allows the project team to have more control over their processes.

Benefits of Scaled Agile Framework

The Scaled Agile Framework, or SAFe, is a framework designed to enable the VA to provide services by utilizing lean, agile and DevOps principles and practices. By leveraging these practices, the VA, through its Office of Information and Technology, intends to deploy new systems and update existing ones.

Potomac Officers Club presents the 2024 Healthcare Summit, set for Dec. 11. Register now to explore the transformative trends and innovations shaping the future of the healthcare sector.

VA Issues RFI for Product Development Support Services
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