Colorado Springs, Colorado, Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Catalyst Accelerator concluded its Directed Energy and Electromagnetic Warfare (CADEW) cohort with a Demo Day on January 15, 2026, at the Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI). The event brought together more than 100 attendees from across the defense innovation ecosystem, including representatives from the Air Force, Space Force, and other government organizations, along with industry leaders, investors, and regional partners.
In partnership with the Space Security and Defense Program (SSDP), the CADEW cohort was the 15th Accelerator facilitated by CCTI. Selected for their technical maturity and business readiness through a competitive application process, the five participating companies began their Accelerator experience in August 2025. The focus was on how the United States Space Force could leverage emerging electromagnetic warfare and directed energy technologies to deter and disrupt adversary capabilities, safeguard U.S. assets, and maintain advantage in contested operational environments.
As part of the Accelerator, companies worked with operational end-users and technical experts who shared insight into Department of Defense mission needs and priorities. They also received targeted business support to refine product positioning and align strategies with government acquisition pathways, along with added mentorship and stakeholder introductions from Commercial Navigators at American Systems, COLSA, Amentum, Axellio, Chickasaw Nation Industries, krtkl, Northrop Grumman, and Viasat.
Sponsored by COLSA and Wilson Sonsini, Demo Day served as the capstone of the Accelerator experience and highlighted the culmination of the cohort’s work, including the evolution of their technologies and the refinement of their business models to better meet U.S. government mission needs. The event opened with a keynote address from Col Edward Gutierrez, Deputy Commander of Space Delta 3, whose remarks provided a mission-focused perspective on the operational importance of directed energy and electromagnetic warfare innovation. Company pitches and networking followed, enabling direct engagement between founders, government, and industry attendees.
Reflecting on the cohort’s growth and progress, Gregg Walsh, Regional Operations Manager for COLSA, Lead Navigator for the CADEW cohort, and Demo Day sponsor, said, “It was incredible to see how much these companies leveraged new insights to evolve their approaches and better address government needs in electromagnetic warfare and directed energy. I'm excited to see what’s next for the CADEW cohort companies."
Cohort companies included:
Aptos Orbital (Palo Alto, CA) Aptos Orbital is building the infrastructure to connect and compute across space. Our real-time RF mesh network enables satellites to exchange data directly, without needing ground stations, using a resilient, decentralized architecture inspired by the internet. We’ve flight-proven our compact, low-power terminals and are deploying them across a variety of missions and orbits to support our customers. With always-available connectivity and a space-first approach to networking, Aptos empowers the DoD to act faster and defend smarter in the electromagnetic domain.
Dcubed USA (Berthoud, CO) Dcubed's vision is to build the next generation of in-space manufactured (ISM) infrastructure, where the capabilities of space systems are uncoupled from the size of the spacecraft bus or launcher. Dcubed has built a reputation for providing reliable spacecraft actuators and mechanisms with responsive lead times, which we will uphold with new, more powerful solar array and antenna systems derived from common ISM structures technologies. In the near future, we see small spacecraft from both the defense and civil space domains taking on new challenging missions powered by Dcubed's ISM solar array and antenna products.
Millennial Software (Chantilly, VA) At Millennial Software, we accelerate decision advantage in space through AI-powered Space Battle Management and autonomous operations. Our vision is a world where space superiority is achieved through speed, clarity, and trusted machine intelligence. Millennial Software delivers next-generation Space Battle Management platforms that shrink decision timelines from minutes to seconds. Our flagship products—Skyward, a modular operations suite, and Keystone, a machine learning orchestration engine—enable warfighters to detect threats, assess intent, and execute rapid courses of action across dynamic orbital environments. We are actively demonstrating this capability in the SDA TAP Lab, our software equips government and commercial partners with the tools to maintain mission advantage through dynamic intelligence, intuitive workflows, and seamless integration across hybrid and classified environments.
Quadsat (Odense, Denmark) Quadsat delivers agile solutions for RF spectrum testing, antenna validation, and electromagnetic environment monitoring tailored for the demands of modern defense operations. Our modular systems, designed for seamless integration across diverse operational platforms, enable EMCON testing, real-time spectrum mapping, RF geolocation, and advanced electromagnetic warfare (EW) signal analysis directly in the field. Bypassing the constraints of static infrastructure, Quadsat empowers multi-domain operational readiness by validating antenna and system performance in contested and congested spectral environments. Trusted by NATO partners and defense primes including SES and Viasat Government, our technology underpins spectrum dominance, system resilience, and mission assurance across a broad range of tactical scenarios.
RedTail Technology (Sydney, Australia) RedTail Technology (RTT) is an Australian defence startup specializing in artificial intelligence and directed energy laser technology. Our vision is to realise handheld energy weapons. RTT's current focus is the development of the Katoomba counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) directed energy system, an AI-infused, handheld, lightweight and versatile protection system for critical infrastructure and Defense applications against hostile or unauthorised UAS platforms.
https://www.redtailtech.com.au
The Catalyst Accelerator is proud to help accelerate innovation and advance cutting-edge technologies in the space sector. By connecting promising startups with government and industry experts, the Accelerator supports the rapid development and transition of solutions that will influence the future of United States space superiority.
About Catalyst Accelerator
The Air Force Research Laboratory Space Vehicles Directorate and United States Space Force’s Catalyst Accelerator is a national security accelerator headquartered at Catalyst Campus for Technology and Innovation (CCTI) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. CCTI, a Colorado 501(c)(3), is a collaborative ecosystem where industry, small business, entrepreneurs, startups, government, academia, and investors convene to promote innovation and advance mission-focused technology development. The Catalyst Accelerator provides mentorship, government engagement, and business development support through a structured, cohort-based program that strengthens dual-use technology transition pathways.
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