HiddenLayer Awarded Phase 2 SBIR Grant by the U.S. Department of Defense

Machine learning security platform will secure government AI systems 

AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HiddenLayer, the leading security provider for artificial intelligence (AI) models and assets, announces it has been selected by AFWERX for a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.25 million focused on implementing their Machine Learning Security (MLSec) Platform to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (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 business 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 and now on September 22, 2023, HiddenLayer will deploy their innovative security solution to further strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

"HiddenLayer is honored to continue our partnership with the US Air Force through our second SBIR contract award. This partnership brings our cutting-edge threat detection capabilities to specific Air Force scenarios in operation and will ensure that our military's use of next-generation technology is secure. Everyone at HiddenLayer is committed to ensuring our government's AI is secure today and always," said Chris Sestito, CEO and co-founder of HiddenLayer.

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.

About HiddenLayer
HiddenLayer, a Gartner-recognized AI Application Security company, helps enterprises safeguard the machine learning models behind their most important products with a comprehensive security platform. Only HiddenLayer offers turnkey AI security that does not add unnecessary complexity to models and does not require access to raw data and algorithms. Founded in March of 2022 by experienced security and ML professionals, HiddenLayer is based in Austin, Texas. For additional information, including product updates and the latest research reports, visit www.hiddenlayer.com.

About Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
Sole organization leading the planning and execution of U.S. Air Force & U.S. Space Force science & technology programs. Orchestrates a world-wide government, industry & academia coalition in the discovery, development & delivery of a wide range of revolutionary technology.  Provides leading-edge warfighting capabilities keeping air, space and cyberspace forces the world's best. Employs 10,800 military, civilian and contractor personnel at 17 research sites executing an annual $4B budget. For more information, visit: www.afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX
The innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory brings cutting edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Employs approximately 325 military, civilian and contractor personnel at six hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4B budget. Since 2019, has executed 4,671 contracts worth more than $2B to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.

Media contact: 
Kristen Tarlecki
VP, Marketing
[email protected]

SOURCE HiddenLayer