Accelerating Emerging Innovations in Upstate New York for National Security
Written By: Jacqueline Blackburn
Contrary to popular belief, New York City is not the only city in the state of New York focused on technology innovation. Roughly four hours from the Big Apple, the city of Rome is home to an emerging innovation ecosystem, thanks to the presence of the prestigious Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), a prominent scientific research organization within the United States Air Force that conducts cutting-edge research and development to advance aerospace technologies and enhance national defense capabilities. Caring about our national security posture means investing time and patient capital into defense. The seamless, in theory, but much more difficult in practice, integration of technology is a critical component in bolstering national security and propelling scientific advancements. The convergence of defense initiatives and technology integration in Rome, New York, serves as a beacon of progress, fueling breakthroughs that not only strengthen our nation's defense capabilities but also have far-reaching implications in diverse industries and beyond.
AFRL is not the only source for innovation. When in Rome, one can explore the state of art research sites and range of labs at The Griffiss Institute as a testament to their focus on innovation. One such site is the SkyDome, the largest indoor Anechoic Chambered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle experimentation facility in the United States. This immersive testing environment provides researchers and industry professionals with a unique platform that enables rigorous experimentation, data collection, and real-world scenario training. Within the same building, the Innovare’s Advancement Center facilities include a 50-mile drone corridor and highly specialized experimentation laboratories in quantum communications and neuromorphic computing.
These facilities scratch the surface of the technology development within the city. Naval Air Systems Command presence, The Cyber Research Institute, and the Information Institute are amongst others. In summary, the innovation and research facilities in Rome, New York serve as vital hubs for advancing defense technologies, fostering collaboration among experts, and driving impactful innovations that enhance national security and bolster technological leadership.
NSIN Propel New York
As a partnership between the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Information Directorate, Air Force Program Executive Office (PEO) Digital at Hanscom Air Force Base, Department of Homeland Security National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (DHS NUSTL), and Decisive Point, NSIN Propel enables the development of next-generation applications of emerging dual-use technology for government and defense. The program aims to recruit companies with technology solutions that are prime for adaptation to address the operational imperatives of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and broader U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) community. The cohort of early-stage ventures will pursue pathways to test, evaluate, and deliver cutting-edge capabilities to enable the U.S. Air Force to deter conflict and project power against pacing challenges. The NSIN Propel and Decisive Point partnership has helped the 40 cohort companies secure $174M+ in trusted private capital and $58M+ in non-dilutive funding, across 20+ government agencies and customers.
Startups interested in applying to an iteration of NSIN Propel should visit: https://www.nsin.mil/propel/
Decisive Point at UPSTATE Capital Future of Air and Space Event
This past week, Decisive Point, joined by the ten startups in the 2023 NSIN Propel New York cohort, attended the Future of Air and Space, Upstate Capital’s Annual Event in Rome, NY presented by National Grid. This event hosted 100+ professionals from established companies, startups, private capital investors, industry leaders, and Department of Defense (DoD) representatives. This event facilitated discovering synergies for longer-term business relationships and included: curated startup meet and greets, insights into working with the DoD customer base, understanding high priority research objectives, and exploring the future outlooks for uncrewed systems, AI/ML edge and quantum computing, and other related technologies.
Our founders met with representatives from AFRL, Army Development Command (DEVCOM), as well as a host of premier research institutions, investors, and potential customers. Ms. Cheryl Ingstad, Managing Director of NSIN, addressed the cohort and engaged 1:1 to better understand technology integration challenges within the DoD and ways NSIN can catalyze their capabilities into the hands of the warfighter. In addition, our companies presented their technology differentiation and applications for the DoD to our mission partners who in exchange shared their greatest challenges and best practices for collaboration.
The Upstate Capital Event provided a unique opportunity for our emerging technologies to network with each other to help solve government challenges through product-mission fit in customer discovery and future tech exchanges. Participation in this conference early into the accelerator program allowed for effective in-person dialogue and exposure to accelerate conversations and catalyze critical partnership engagements with complementary technologies and ideas.
Decisive Point is proud to partner with NSIN and continue to grow the innovation base and ecosystem in our nation’s most critical technology. The cohort of early-stage venture companies will pursue pathways to test, experiment, and evaluate new integrations for critical applications that provide strategic levels of deterrence throughout the DoD. Our Demo Day, scheduled for mid-Sept in New York City, will be a follow-up opportunity for our cohort to continue to engage with key government stakeholders and DoD personnel.
Check out the full cohort in our Lookbook below.
