The American Security Challenge
1. Who can enter the competition?
Any small business or entrepreneur with 2007 revenues of less than one million dollars can enter the Challenge. Some examples include: SBIR winners, angel funded companies, venture funded companies, incubator companies, university researchers with innovative IP, entrepreneurs, companies looking for more/better customers, funding, licensors, strategic partners or manufacturing partnerships
2. What is a "national security technology"?
Most technologies have a security application and applications in another sector.
• Energy including renewable energy, fuel cells, cleantech, stationary and mobile power supplies and storage, nanotechnology, stationary and mobile power supplies and storage, etc.
• Information management including large scale data handling and fusion of multi-lingual, multi-source, multi-format, visualizations, data mining, graph databses and symantec web, etc.
• Life sciences including CBRNE, WMD, IED detection
• Cybersecurity including authentication, identification, wireless security, information assurance, signal intelligence, etc.
• Data collection and storage including location based technology, RFID, satellite and other imagery, spectroscopy, x-ray, gamma, chromatography, etc.
• Facility security including CCTV, perimeter security, biometrics, etc.
3. Judging Criteria
For the business plan, reviewers will consider:
1) Applicability to national security
Is the product/technology helpful in defending homeland or national security?
2) Viability and uniqueness of the innovation and what competitive insulation does it enjoy?
i.e. is it an enabler or new application- does the company have patents or patents pending on the technology- does the intellectual property provide a competitive advantage?
3) Viability of the business regarding the management team
Is this a team that understands the requirements of building a company and can take the company to the next stage?
4) Capitalization Plan
Does the company have enough money or an achievable plan for raising money and how likely is raising money?
5) Marketing Plan
Has the company identified/penetrated appropriate markets for their product?
The Reviewers and Judges may be members of the private or public sectors, industry, investors and others related to the technology commercialization process. All Reviewer and Judges are selected at the sole discretion of the National Security Initiative.When the six finalists are selected, finalists will be required to disclose and prior relationship to or with the judges of the ASC. If a conflict of interest exists, the judge will be replaced at ASC's discretion.
Selections and awards made by the ASC judges are final and binding and remain at ASC's sole discretion.
4. Why is the American Security Challenge important?
Too often good ideas never leave the drawing board because there are simply not enough resources to bring them to commercialization. For example, one of the major problems during 9/11 was that the F.D.N.Y was unabel to track and communicate with their firefighters insdie the Twin Towers. The Ft. Monmouth New Jersey Chief of Fire and Emergency Services and the Chief of their Tactical Wireless Network Division have created a technology that allows any incident commander to see every one of their responders on a scene -- inside or outside a building. Currently, no one has the capacity to do that. This technology, however, cannot reach incident commanders or fire chiefs because the project has no further funding. It has stalled on the verge of commercialization because there are no more dollars. No project that can have such a huge impact on the lives of our citizens and on those who protect us should be DOA because of funding. The money is out there - and the American Security Challenge is the mechanism by which we assure that those who need it, get it.
5. Besides the prize money, are there other benefits for the small companies?
Absolutely. The American Security Challenge is an unprecedented opportunity for a great deal of exposure on one of the most important topics of our generation: the security of our nation. Beyond being involved in securing our national interest, the Challenge also provides participants with access to:
• Early stage Angel and venture capitalists seeking additional deal flow
• Prime contractors and integrators looking for interesting technology to license, acquire or insert into a program
• Critical infrastructure owners and supporting members of our economy such as large financial, energy, communication, transportation, shipping, or healthcare stakeholders
• Service providers including law firms, investment bankers, accounting and management consultants
• Senior members of the federal government such as DOD, DHS, or DOE • Serial entrepreneurs looking for their next opportunity • Identify emerging technologies and potential relationships from the estimated 100 contestants • Establish/improve relationships with members of the public and private national security community • Identify technologies for possible licensing or investment • Benefit from comprehensive marketing and public relations efforts – Incorporated into DHS Stakeholder conference marketing which is substantial – Concerted promotion efforts in Maryland and Virginia within university, incubator and federal lab channels. – Collaboration and visibility in private sector through angel, venture capital and technology association channels. – Promotion through DHS Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) – Significant media coverage
6. What about the sponsors? Why are they involved?
Sponsors include many links in the innovation chain including the end customers and resellers, development capital sources, commercialization capital investors, and experienced advisors. Sponsors of the event include all types of integrators, venture capital firms, entrepreneurs and others involved in technology financing. They are involved for the significant opportunities to:
