Tesseract Ventures awarded $1.25M grant for R&D at home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber

One of Kansas City’s most innovative startups announced Thursday a direct-to-Phase II SBIR Grant with Whiteman Air Force Base — teaming the next-generation robotics leader with the U.S. military to launch smart technology with global impact, said John Boucard.

John Boucard, Tesseract Ventures

“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 Boucard, founder and CEO, Tesseract Ventures.

Click here to learn more about Tesseract’s work and local partnerships.

The company’s research proposal, submitted under the 21.1 SBIR cycle, has been approved for a $1.25 million contract for research and development (R&D) at Whiteman Air Force Base in Johnson County, Missouri, home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber.

Under the AFWERX 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, Boucard said.

“Tesseract’s technologies represent an opportunity for Whiteman to move into the future of flightline operations at an accelerated pace,” said Maj. Ben Fogarty, director of innovation at Whiteman and the lead technical point of contact for the SBIR project. “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.”

Tesseract Ventures

The Tesseract Technologies developed under this grant can be applied to a multitude of Air Force and military applications, the company said.

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.

“The Air Force has always been a center of innovation and a launch pad for world-changing new technologies,” Boucard added.

Click here to read more about Tesseract Ventures, one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020.