TrustPoint Accelerates Defense-Grade, GPS-Independent PNT with Fifth Phase II SBIR Award in 18 Months

Contract strengthens the company’s growing portfolio of U.S. government-funded PNT initiatives

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TrustPoint announces it has been awarded by AFWERX a SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract in the amount of $1.9M focused on adapting and upgrading TrustPoint’s commercial C-band positioning navigation and timing (PNT) payload to integrate with Department of Defense (DoD) architectures and meet advanced government requirements. The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, 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, TrustPoint will accelerate its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

TrustPoint is developing a low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) payload designed to address the U.S. Space Force’s growing need for tactically-responsive and resilient space capabilities. The upgraded payload will bolster resistance to GPS jamming and spoofing, and expand the operational resilience of PNT in contested environments – an essential requirement for future proliferated space architectures and for the autonomous systems, including drones, that depend on trusted timing and navigation. The effort will culminate in laboratory testing in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), setting the stage for potential Phase III deployment opportunities.

“These continued awards reflect the DoD’s confidence in our approach and its commitment to partnering with commercial providers that can deliver,” said Chris DeMay, Founder and COO. “This investment enables the advancements in our architecture, most notably our jam-resistant PNT payload, while building a dual-use capability that serves both national security users and the broader commercial market.”

The award marks TrustPoint’s fifth Phase II SBIR in just 18 months, spanning projects with the Air Force, Space Force, and Navy, and adds to the company’s participation in government-funded PNT initiatives. TrustPoint continues to develop agile, modernized PNT technologies that operate independently of existing GPS, enabling secure, resilient navigation for applications in autonomous mobility, logistics, and critical infrastructure synchronization. To learn more, please visit: www.trustpointgps.com

“The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.”

About TrustPoint

TrustPoint is creating a new class of resilient navigation solutions designed to power the next era of autonomy and national security. Built on a modern C-band LEO architecture, TrustPoint’s system delivers secure, high-performance PNT that works reliably in the environments where legacy services struggle. By combining advanced satellite capabilities with scalable ground infrastructure, TrustPoint provides a trusted foundation for autonomous navigation, critical infrastructure, and national security. Learn more at www.trustpointgps.com

About AFWERX

As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. Headquartered at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, AFWERX employs military, civilian and contractor personnel executing an annual $1.4 billion annual budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.