Dozens Invited to Semi-Final Rounds of 2010 American Security Challenge
Washington, D.C. July 19, 2010 – Dozens of entries to the 2010 American Security Challenge were invited to submit more detailed information. Challengers are eligible to receive any number of awards including pilot programs sponsored by prospective customers, a Protégé award to be mentored by Raytheon in the highly regarded DoD/SBA Mentor Protégé program, and private presentations with active angel and venture capital investors.
This year’s semifinalists represent the higher scoring Challengers are a unique blend of near term deployable innovative technologies. Of companies supplying the following data, the profile of the 2010 semi-finalist Challengers includes:
- Median year incorporated is 2004
- 21 different states and 4 different countries
- 56% have received grant/research money ranging from $200K to $45M with the median being $2M
- 34% self funded without raising angel or venture capital
- Median 2010 projected revenue is $2.2M
- 97% have intellectual property
- In order of priority, the following were offered as major differentiator from alternative solutions
- 44% performance
- 41% size
- 8% functionality
- 3% price
- Technology Readiness Levels (TRL)
- 56% are TRL 9
- 16% are TRL 8
- 13% are TRL 7
- 11% are TRL 6
- 1% are TRL 5
- Of the four categories Cyber, C4ISR, Energy and Physical security, 61 companies had technologies in the following categories (some companies addressed multiple categories):
- 36 Cyber
- 27 C4ISR
- 28 Physical
- 15 Energy
A surprising figure was only 11% indicated they had direct sales with DoD in the last year and only 21% indicated they had any employees with clearances. According to Roger London, NSI President and 2010 ASC Chairman, “I believe we are reaching many companies outside the typical defense community which should produce “fresh” solutions.”
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ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY INITIATIVE (NSI)
The National Security Initiative is a non-profit organization devoted to promoting America's long-term national security interests by uniting the power of the market to the power of American ingenuity. The principle channel is the American Security Challenge, a joint venture annual technology contest that brings innovators and investors from around the country together to collaborate and support the best security technology devoted to our country's long-term national security. Learn more about NSI at www.NationalSecurityInitiative.com and about ASC at www.AmericanSecurityChallenge.com.
ABOUT AMERICAN SECURITY CHALLENGE (ASC)
As the largest competition and matchmaking opportunity in the nation, the American Security Challenge is the center of gravity for the critical stakeholders in the security technology market. By quickly identifying solutions to mission critical and highly visible issues, the American Security Challenge public/private partnerships are working to secure our nation's citizens, our assets and our economy.
ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY OPERATIONS CORP (NSOC)
Newly formed in response to the increasing demand for competent, efficient and rapid identification and screening of innovative technology, The National Security Operations Corp (NSOC) pro-actively scouts innovation communities for technologies that match the requirements of national security customers/users).
As such, NSOC provides support to the federal defense and Intelligence Community, private sector Critical Infrastructure Owners and Fortune 500 companies. This program provides the identification and/or piloting (stress-testing) of innovative technology to determine if a technology can address priority security challenges (cyber, IED, checkpoints/border, portable/renewable power, passenger/cargo screening, data fusion, etc).
NSOC is an effective front-end scout helping scour the technology landscape to identify potential solutions, or provide comparative competition to a specific vendor under consideration. This pro-active scouting and vetting offers its customers confidence they have uncovered the most viable solution providers to various requirements (or in some cases provide the insight that technology vendors have not yet provided a deployable cost effective solution).
Media contact: Roger London, (410) 340‐5335 Roger@AmericanSecurityChallenge.com
