Airis Labs reposted this
TL;DR - Airis Labs recognized for sole-source supplier status by the US Army! A few weeks ago, Amos Lahav and I had the privilege of participating in the 2024 #xTechInternational prize competition finals in Madrid. We were selected as one of the top 4 international startups in the #AI for #Intelligence and #DecisionMaking Applications track, following a rigorous down-selection process by multiple Army experts. This event marked the culmination of months of preparation, including several written and oral deliverables (I learned a lot about pentacharts...) and an 8-week intensive accelerator program. During this program we had the chance to engage with prominent leaders from the US Army-USSOCOM-United States Department of Defense ecosystem, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, IQT (In-Q-Tel), NATO DIANA and more. As described by xTech: "xTech connects the Army with businesses through prize competitions, breaking down traditional barriers to working with the Army. Bringing these groups together not only spurs innovation and accelerates technology development for the Army, but provides businesses a unique collaboration opportunity. In addition to cash prizes, businesses are given opportunities to receive follow-on contracts and direct exposure to Army experts and commercial stakeholders – supplying businesses with key networking, education and mentorship opportunities." In addition to the cash prizes received for qualifying through each selection round, startups reaching the final round showcase innovative technology with great potential #impact for the Army. This achievement qualifies us for sole-source status, a process that would otherwise take up to 3 years! As part of the xTech alumni community, we're excited to continue our engagement with the Army in building cutting edge AI that drives heroic action 💪 Special thanks to the Army Futures Command ASA(ALT) Army SBIR|STTR Program Matthew Willis, Ph.D. Jessica Stillman Johan Restrepo Ryan Helbach Deependra Pokhrel FedTech Brandi Szczesny PEO IEW&S U.S. Army DEVCOM C5ISR Center Charles Seaberry, MBA Paul Sparks Jason Carney and a huge thank you to Col. Michael Fleming for bringing this phenomenal opportunity to our attention!