$10.9M in expenses
Platforms for advanced wireless research (pawr): pawr is revolutionizing the wireless ecosystem while sustaining us leadership and economic competitiveness. Funded by the national science foundation and a consortium of the nation's leading wireless companies and associations, the $100 million public-private partnership is managed by the pawr project office (ppo). Major 2024 activities of the ppo include a) overseeing the significant expansions of the ara rural wireless testbed in iowa and the aerpaw wireless drone testbed in north carolina; b) coordinating and announcing the collaboration of the powder wireless testbed in utah with industry innovator mavenir to test new open ran networking gear in an over-the-air environment; c) promoting the open source release of powder's radio dynamic zone (RDZ) software for use in spectrum coexistence experiments.
$2.6M in expenses
Smart bases: the us ignite smart base team delivered the smart installation and community dashboard for the engineer research and development center (army corp of engineers) on fort benning base. In 2024, us ignite advanced research and development on intelligent intrusion detection and heat risk management while expanding to use cases that enhance emergency services, improve installation readiness, and support army modernization initiatives. Us ignite engaged industry-leading vendors across the project sectors to provide a common operating vision for fort benning's leadership.
$861K in expenses
Us ignite completed two department of commerce projects in salt lake city (SLC) and washington DC. The innovate SLC project integrated entrepreneurial training, smart city innovation, and small business capacity-building efforts. Through two coordinated work areas, the urban innovation accelerator for startups and the small business training program for local enterprises, us ignite and its partners supported over 200 participants across 76 industries, focusing on opportunity zones and underserved communities. The startup accelerator delivered mentorship, technical training, and investor engagement to 24 startups in 13 sectors, resulting in over $3.1 million in capital raised, $1.27 million in sbir funding, and $350,000 in new revenue. Concurrently, the small business program reached 183 participants, equipping them with practical knowledge of smart city technologies and fostering stronger ties between minority chambers, local government, and industry partners. Collectively, these initiatives strengthened salt lake city's innovation ecosystem, enhanced workforce development, and laid the foundation for sustainable, tech-driven economic growth and community resilience.the us ignite DC regional startup and workforce training program (innovatedmv) successfully strengthened the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the washington, DC, maryland, and virginia region. Over two years, the program supported 127 startups and 263 small businesses, engaged 40+ ecosystem partners, and hosted 25 training and networking events. Highlights included the AI for DMV startups initiative, smart cities training series, and lean business model canvas workshop, which equipped founders with cutting-edge tools in AI integration, smart technologies, and sustainable business modeling. Through collaborations with organizations such as arlington bizlaunch, black meta agency, and k street capital, innovatedmv advanced minority business participation, facilitated access to capital, and connected 72 founders with 25 funders. The program also launched the innovatedmv website, conducted regional gap assessments using innovative voice-enabled surveys, and developed sustainability strategies to continue driving innovation, inclusion, and workforce development beyond the grant lifecycle.
