Potomac Tech Wire - Dec. 10
Arlington-based Pryzm Raises $12.2 Million; Led by a16z
o Arlington-based Pryzm Raises $12.2 Million; Led by a16z
o ManTech Acquires Arlington-based Elder Research
o Reston-based Bowman Consulting Acquires RPT Alliance
o SBA Demanding Financial Info from 8(a) Companies
o Eaton to Invest $50 Million in Energy Technology Facility in Henrico
o DC-based Paladin Releases Annual Report on Safety Tech
o Village Capital Accepting Applications for Women in Tech
o Briefly Noted: Vibrint, X-energy Reactor, AeroVironment
Arlington-based Pryzm Raises $12.2 Million; Led by a16z
Arlington, Va. – Pryzm, an Arlington-based developer of an AI procurement system for government and industry, announced that it has raised $12.2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz’s (a16z) American Dynamism fund, with participation from existing investors XYZ Venture Capital, Amplify.LA and Forum Ventures. The company said its platform helps to modernize how the federal government discovers, evaluates, and acquires emerging technology
“The future of national defense depends on how fast we can get the right technology into the right hands,” said Nick LaRovere, Co-Founder and CEO of Pryzm. “Procurement shouldn’t be a barrier to innovation. It should be the spark that drives it. With this round led by a16z, we’re accelerating a new era of speed, adaptability, and technological advantage for national security.”
ManTech Acquires Arlington-based Elder Research
Herndon, Va. – As part of its increased focus on AI, ManTech, the Herndon-based technology provider to the federal government, announced that it has acquired Arlington-based Elder Research, a provider of AI and data science services. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Elder Research will become part of ManTech’s Data and AI Practice, led by Brandy Durham.
“In an industry where less than 20 percent of data science and AI projects make it out of the lab into the real world, we have built a differentiated approach where 90 percent of our solutions are implemented, adopted and delivering real ROI,” said John Elder, founder of Elder Research. “ManTech shares our values of excellence, integrity and service to our federal and commercial clients, and together, we can even more effectively help our clients achieve their challenging missions.”
Reston-based Bowman Consulting Acquires RPT Alliance
Reston, Va. – Bowman Consulting, a Reston-based engineering and infrastructure services firm, announced that it has acquired Houston-based RPT Alliance, an energy infrastructure and engineering firm. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“RPT immediately transforms the platform we’ve built over the past several years,” said Gary Bowman, founder and chief executive officer. “Their speed-to-energization expertise contributes to our strategy of providing one-stop design and engineering solutions to data center, utility and industrial customers.”
SBA Demanding Financial Info from 8(a) Companies
Washington, DC – In a move that could affect hundreds of local companies, the U.S. Small Business Administration has issued letters to all government contractors in the 8(a) Business Development Program, requiring them to produce financial records as part of an initiative to detect fraud, waste and abuse. The 8(a) program supports socially and economically disadvantaged businesses in government contracting.
“There is mounting evidence that the 8(a) Program designed for ‘socially and economically disadvantaged’ businesses went from being a targeted program to a pass-through vehicle for rampant abuse and fraud – especially during the Biden Administration, which aggressively prioritized DEI over merit in federal contracting,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “Today, as part of the SBA’s effort to protect taxpayer dollars and restore program integrity, we’re requiring all 8(a) firms to provide basic financial documentation for SBA review.”
Eaton to Invest $50 Million in Energy Technology Facility in Henrico
Henrico County, Va. – Eaton, an Irish power management company, announced that it will invest over $50 million in a new manufacturing facility for power distribution technologies, in Henrico County, Virginia. The move is aimed at supporting the more than 50 new data centers permitted in Virginia this year. The company said it expects to hire 200 additional employees for the project next year that will more than double its footprint in the Richmond area.
“Eaton is uniquely positioned to help our data center customers meet the rapidly increasing power requirements for AI factories through our expansive manufacturing footprint, and our focus on innovation and engineering excellence,” said Aidan Graham, senior vice president and general manager of Critical Power Solutions at Eaton. “We’re continuing to invest in U.S. manufacturing and are thankful for the strong collaboration and support in Virginia.”
DC-based Paladin Releases Annual Report on Safety Tech
Washington, DC – Paladin Capital Group, the DC-based cybersecurity and AI investment firm, has released its third annual “International State of Safety Tech Report.” The report found that safety technology – technology that aims to create safer online experiences – raised more than $1 billion in funding in 2025.
“As the boundaries between the cyber and physical world blur and the risks to humanity quickly evolve, it’s encouraging to see the Safety Tech industry match this moment and mature with the same speed and adaptability,” said Mary Aiken, Chief Scientist Safety Tech and Strategic Advisor at Paladin. “This is a defining moment for the industry. Technology has become more immersive, autonomous, and rooted in our daily lives than ever before, and it is essential that we make sure safety and trust is embedded into every tech interaction humans have.”
Village Capital Accepting Applications for Women in Tech
Washington, DC – Village Capital, a tech accelerator in DC and New York focused on impact investing, has launched the application process for its 2026 US Women in Tech Accelerator in collaboration with Standard Chartered Foundation. It will be the second cohort of the program that supports women entrepreneurs.
“Through this program, early-stage founders receive practical resources, expert advice and mentorship to help them build and scale their businesses, which supports sustainable growth and facilitates longer-term success,” the company said in a news release. “Running from April to July, the accelerator empowers women-led, impact-creating, tech-enabled startups to scale their solutions, create jobs, and drive economic mobility nationwide.”
Briefly Noted
(Reston, Va.) Vibrint, a federal technology provider, announced the opening of a new 15,000-square-foot office at 11600 Sunrise Valley Dr. in Reston. The company said the new office comes after a recent acquisition and new winning of new national security contracts.
(Rockville, Md) X-energy Reactor, a Rockville-based developer of small modular nuclear reactors, has named Daniel Gross as its CFO. Gross formerly served as a corporate development director at Amazon focused on the Climate Pledge Fund
(Arlington, Va.) AeroVironment, the Arlington-based defense technology company, has named Milancy Harris as its vice president and chief security officer. Harris most recently served as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.'