BOULDER, August 15, 2024 —- Mesa Quantum announces it has been selected by SpaceWERX for a Direct-to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in the amount of $1.9M focused on miniaturized atomic clocks for alternative Positioning, Navigation, & Timing (PNT) to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).

The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a unique division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.

The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now on August 1, 2024, Mesa Quantum will start its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

Dr. Sristy Agrawal, CEO and co-founder of Mesa Quantum, said, “We firmly believe that chip-scale quantum sensing solutions will play a pivotal role in developing robust alternatives to GPS satellites. This contract underscores our commitment to advancing cutting-edge quantum technologies that will contribute to a resilient PNT infrastructure for the nation.”