Space and Defense Innovation Winners Announced

Leading technology companies with the potential to protect and improve the federal sector selected in first-of-its-kind defense innovation awards event

AUSTIN, TX, USA, March 11, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Space and Defense Innovation (SDI) team is pleased to announce the winners of the Space and Defense Innovation Showcase and Ignite Competition.

Sponsored by Second Front Systems, the Ignite Competition is designed to surface new technologies that could help advance and protect our nation and/or make lives better for service members. The Ignite Awards event recognizes the innovation happening in the space and defense industry, and celebrates those who are making an impact.

The Awards focus on four of the critical technology categories for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. One winner was chosen per category, in addition to choices for a fifth Wildcard category, Best in Show, and Best Startup Innovation (full details on the winners and categories appended below):

- Best in Show: Mesodyne
- Best Startup Innovation: ADAM Aerospace
- AI and Autonomy: SimWerx
- Integrated Sensing and Cyber: ADAM Aerospace
- Renewable Energy Generation and Storage: MesodyneSpace Technology: Outpost
- Wildcard: Productable

The winners took part in a demo pitch competition on March 9, 2024, in Austin, TX, in front of a live audience and a panel of high-profile judges, whose roles range from former congressmen to leaders of top space and defense VC’s, to defense innovation leaders and other prominent industry executives.

“Our judges had a tough job,” said Joy Schoffler, organizer of the Space and Defense Innovation Reception, and founder of events management firm Distinctive Edge Partners. “Having industry experts from throughout the DoD and federal sector choose the finalists for each category meant that we had some truly great companies. All of the finalists should be proud of their achievements.”

Prizes with a total value of over $200,000 were provided by a number of industry leaders, including Distinctive Edge Partners, Ward & Berry, SBIR Advisors, Q-Branch, Fedtech, Defense One, Onward, and Foundation For The Future.

About the winners:

- The Best in Show category winner is Mesodyne. Mesodyne’s patented LightCell is a new class of power generator that converts fuel into electricity via light. The LightCell enables portable, efficient, quiet, reliable, long-endurance power anywhere, anytime, and from any fuel. With more than 10 times the energy density of batteries, the LightCell enables people, sensors, autonomous vehicles - virtually any system that requires portable power - to perform their mission beyond what is possible today and extend range, endurance, and lethality across a multitude of platforms.

- The Best Startup Innovation winner is ADAM Aerospace. ADAM provides advanced cryptographic data verification and artificial intelligence solutions that protect the world's most critical data. They work closely with DoD customers to solve problems today and create next-gen technology to lead forces into the future. With ADAM you can sole source your defense tech projects and start your efforts immediately.

- The AI and Autonomy category winner is SimWerx. SimWerx is at the forefront of transforming medical education and operational effectiveness with its pioneering technology solutions, designed to equip medical professionals for the challenges of tomorrow. By merging real-world military precision with the latest in tech innovation, they ensure that frontline medical teams are not just prepared, but ahead of the curve.

- The Integrated Sensing and Cyber category winner is ADAM Aerospace. ADAM provides advanced cryptographic data verification and artificial intelligence solutions that protect the world's most critical data. They work closely with DoD customers to solve problems today and create next-gen technology to lead forces into the future. With ADAM you can sole source your defense tech projects and start your efforts immediately.

- The Renewable Energy Generation and Storage category winner is Mesodyne. Mesodyne’s patented LightCell is a new class of power generator that converts fuel into electricity via light. The LightCell enables portable, efficient, quiet, reliable, long-endurance power anywhere, anytime, and from any fuel. With more than 10 times the energy density of batteries, the LightCell enables people, sensors, autonomous vehicles - virtually any system that requires portable power - to perform their mission beyond what is possible today and extend range, endurance, and lethality across a multitude of platforms.

- The Wildcard category winner is Productable. Productable is a startup building portfolio management software for the modern federal agency. With tools for step-by-step solution development and decision-making, Productable helps teams turn ideas into outcomes faster.

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About the Space and Defense Innovation Showcase
The annual Space and Defense Innovation Showcase and Reception (SDI) is a daylong event consisting of a forward-thinking innovation competition, followed by a curated networking reception. The Space and Defense Competition is designed to surface technologies that could help advance and protect our nation and/or make lives better for service members, and celebrates those making an impact. SDI is organized by Distinctive Edge Partners, Foundation For The Future, and Valid Evaluation, Inc. For more information, go to https://www.sdireception.com/

Ashley Shenk
Distinctive Edge Partners
+1 717-826-4251
ashley@distinctiveedge.partners