Tesseract Ventures Receives United States Air Force AFWERX Direct-to-Phase II SBIR Grant with Whiteman Air Force Base

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Tesseract Ventures announced today that the company has been awarded a direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation (SBIR) grant by the United States Air Force through AFWERX.

The research proposal,submitted under the 21.1 SBIR cycle, has been approved for a $1,250,000 contract for research and development (R&D) at Whiteman Air Force Base, MO, home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Under this grant, Tesseract Ventures will continue to develop open / proprietary tools and technologies including the Tesseract Smart Space, Prism connected wearables and hardware, Node security hubs and more. These radically connected technologies are being developed to aid the Air Force in advanced data visualization, enhanced situational awareness, location tracking of supplies and resources.

Maj Ben Fogarty is the Director of Innovation at Whiteman AFB and the lead Technical POC for the SBIR project. "Tesseract's technologies represent an opportunity for Whiteman to move into the future of flightline operations at an accelerated pace," said Maj Fogarty. "We are committed to exploring implementing Tesseract's capabilities in a way that will balance safety and security with new operational capability for our airmen."

"The Air Force has always been a center of innovation and a launch pad for world-changing new technologies. We are honored to work alongside some of the military's most visionary minds, as we develop technologies that can make our Air Force more efficient and better connected, while keeping our service people safer both on the base and in the field." said John Boucard, founder and CEO, Tesseract Ventures.

The Tesseract Technologies developed under this grant can be applied to a multitude of Air Force and military applications. The Smart Space is a physical collaboration and data visualization hub that brings together information from every part of a mission or base for improved situational awareness and better operational control. It can reveal critical insights at a time when the military is challenged to analyze and visualize massive and ever increasing amounts of data.

Node is a highly portable, self-contained access control and credentialing hub that acts as a central brain for IoT devices, integrating data from various sources while also providing security at installation sites. Node can be deployed in minutes on all types of bases, at field hospitals and beyond, with little to no infrastructure needed.

Prism is a suite of advanced wearables and hardware that allows users to track the locations of personnel and equipment, create virtual zones, send out real-time alerts, receive SOS calls and more. Prism's real-time data capabilities can enhance safety and efficiency both on the base and in the battlefield. 

Tesseract's advanced asset tracking sensors give commanding leadership a clear view of where material is at all times. This enhanced awareness can cut costs, aid in inventory and even give insights into maintenance needs. Each of these components is designed to work together, or individually, giving users incredible flexibility in scaling up or down their application as required by a project or mission.

Tesseract Ventures was founded in 2018 by John Boucard, a veteran inventor, engineer and technologist. The company enables businesses to defy the boundaries of space and time through next-generation technologies. Robots, smart spaces, wearables and radically connected platforms are just some of the tools created by Tesseract in its mission to make industries smarter, better connected and more efficient. The company is based in Kansas City, MO and Tampa, FL. For more information, visit www.tesseractventures.io.

A Technology Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the innovation arm of the Department Air Force, AFWERX accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming innovative technology developers with Airman and Guardian talent. AFWERX is the Air Force's team of innovators who encourage and facilitate connections across industry, academia, and military to create transformative opportunities and foster a culture of innovation.

AFWERX, in partnership with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), developed the SBIR open Topics to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transition rate of the SBIR program. Through competitive awards-based program, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

SOURCE Tesseract Ventures