Tesseract earns $1.25M contract to help Space Force, military ‘predict the future’
April 19, 2023 | Startland News Staff
Industry-defining tools built by Kansas City’s Tesseract Ventures will help the U.S. Space Force accurately track machines, people and objects on base, and create a clearer understanding of launch conditions through next generation data visualization, said John Boucard.
Tesseract announced Tuesday that the company has been awarded a direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation (SBIR) contract by the Space Force through AFWERX. The $1,250,000 contract is designated for research and development at Space Launch Delta 45 at Patrick Space Force Base, Florida, and at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“At Tesseract Ventures, we are driven by a sense of duty and purpose to make a positive impact on the world through the development and deployment of cutting-edge technology — for exactly the right customer at exactly the right time,” said Boucard. “Our SBIR Phase 2 relationship with the United States Space Force is an incredible opportunity to leverage our innovation studio, For All Kind, to accelerate the development of advanced 21st century wearable robotics, data visualization in all dimensions, and digital twin technology. It is an honor to be part of this contract.”
RELATED: Tesseract deepens military ties with deal to develop smart space hub for US Air Force
Under the newly announced contract, Tesseract will further develop its Tesseract Smart Space, Prism hardware and Mosaic software to create a multi-dimensional common operating picture of the launch environment.
Click here to learn more about Tesseract Ventures’ technology and its portfolio of genre-smashing, industry-crossing studios.
Prism’s real time location tracking hardware works with Mosaic’s data analysis software to collect and parse data from across the spaceport, detailed Boucard. These work to track inventory, equipment status, staff locations, environmental conditions and much more. This information can then be used to visualize a digital twin of objects such as rockets, or the entire space port. Armed with a data-enhanced picture that can be viewed from multiple vantage points in the Tesseract Smart Space, teams will get up-to-the-minute insights into a vast array of conditions that can enhance safety, increase efficiency and produce better outcomes.
Tesseract was founded in 2018 by John Boucard, a veteran inventor, engineer and technologist. It was named one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 — later becoming a go-to tech powerhouse for military and national security applications.
The company — which now splits bases of operations between Overland Park, Kansas, and Tampa, Florida — 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.

2023 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Why Nina Whitmore left Corporate America to fight fast fashion (The answer is pretty black and white)
When Nina Whitmore was in elementary school, she always wore culottes — flowy cropped pants that are now back in style. They were easiest for her mother to sew, even though Whitmore would have preferred to wear jeans like the other kids, she said. Her interest in fashion began as a tween, when she paged…
Firebrand Ventures closes $40M seed fund for ‘authentic’ founders in emerging communities; adds Leo Morton as advisor
A year after two prominent venture capital firms announced their merger, the consolidated Firebrand Ventures II is officially closed — reaching its $40 million target and having already invested in startups from Detroit, Seattle and Toronto. “Several years ago we raised our first funds — Boulder-based Blue Note Ventures and Kansas City-based Firebrand Ventures I —…
KC council members set to rappel from Canary bar atop 10-story building for Fringe festival fundraiser
Nothing screams KC Fringe Festival quite like rappelling down a 10-story building in the heart of Midtown, said organizers of a weekend fundraiser to help bring professional arts advocates — laid off because of the pandemic — back to the payroll. “To me, this fundraiser really speaks to what the Fringe does — which is…



