BOULDER, Colo., August 15, 2024 — Mesa Quantum announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Direct-to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in the amount of $1.9M focused on miniaturized atomic clocks for alternative Positioning, Navigation, & Timing (PNT) to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the SBIR and STTR process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal-to-award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small businesses and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018, which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded. On August 1, 2024, Mesa Quantum began its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"We firmly believe that chip-scale quantum sensing solutions will play a pivotal role in developing robust alternatives to GPS satellites. This contract underscores our commitment to advancing cutting-edge quantum technologies that will contribute to a resilient PNT infrastructure for the nation."
— Dr. Sristy Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Mesa Quantum
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government.
Press Contact: Wale Lawal, CTO/Co-Founder — contact@mesaquantum.com
About Mesa Quantum
Mesa Quantum is at the forefront of developing chip-scale quantum sensors for Alternative Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (ALT-PNT) applications. Initial focus is on creating next-generation chip-scale atomic clocks, which promise to revolutionize precise timing in defense, data centers, space, and the growing autonomous systems market.
About SpaceWERX
The innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, headquartered in Los Angeles with 40 personnel executing an annual $457M budget. Since Aug. 2021, SpaceWERX has executed 1,106 contracts worth more than $897M.
About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within AFRL, with ~370 personnel executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed 6,200 contracts worth more than $4.7B.
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, primary scientific R&D center for the Department of the Air Force, with workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40+ operations globally.