o SES Completes $3.1 Billion Acquisition of Tysons-based Intelsat
o CACI Chairman Mike Daniels Passes Away
o Leesburg-based Case Acquires Reston’s Ragnarok Technologies
o Reston-based AIS Acquires Reston-based Dorrean
o McLean-based Booz Allen Hamilton Invests in Firestorm Labs
o McLean-based Red Cell Hires Former Google, Amazon Executive
o Virginia Beach-based Kilsar Raises $3.7 Million for AI Software
o TEDCO Picks Collide Capital to Help Manage Venture Fund
o Briefly Noted: Quantum Xchange, Babel Street, Corsha
SES Completes $3.1 Billion Acquisition of Tysons-based Intelsat
Tysons, Va. – SES, the European satellite giant with its headquarters in Luxembourg, has completed its $3.1 billion acquisition of Tysons-based Intelsat, a major satellite operator. SES provides space-based services to government, aviation, maritime and media customers.
“Today, we’re not just merging two companies -- we’re creating a stronger company, built for the future,” said Adel Al-Saleh, CEO of SES. “In this new chapter, we are bringing together a powerful mix of talented people, network infrastructure, spectrum, innovation, and global relationships that will allow us to deliver next-generation connectivity and space-enabled services in smarter and quicker ways.”
CACI Chairman Mike Daniels Passes Away
Reston, Va. – Government technology leader Mike Daniels, the chairman of Reston-based CACI International, has died, the company announced on Wednesday. CACI’s board has elected Lisa Disbrow, former Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, as the new chair. Daniels had served on the company’s board since 2013, and was elected chairman in 2021. He also was a past chairman of the Logistics Management Institute, a former senior White House advisor on international technology for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and a former senior advisor to the National Security Council.
“The entire CACI family is deeply saddened by Mr. Daniels’ passing,” said CACI CEO John Mengucci in a statement. “Mike was a keen business leader who demonstrated respect and support for all who worked with him. He was always focused, not only on where the company was heading, but on ensuring that integrity and ethics remained front and center.”
Leesburg-based Case Acquires Reston’s Ragnarok Technologies
Leesburg, Va. – Case, a Leesburg-based provider of high-end software development and cloud engineering services, said it has acquired Reston-based Ragnarok Technologies, a specialized IT services provider for federal and commercial clients. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Founded in 2015, Ragnarok provides engineering and enterprise IT services across areas such as blockchain analysis, digital forensics, cloud infrastructure and software development. Ragnarok’s three co-founders, Thomas Dougherty, Ethan Grambow, and Chris Santiago, will assume roles on Case’s senior leadership team.
“In addition to expanding our presence in the National Capital Region, leveraging Ragnarok’s advanced technical capabilities and cutting-edge infrastructure positions us to provide even deeper strategic insight to our clients,” said Paul Farmer, the CEO of Case.
Reston-based AIS Acquires Dorrean
Reston, Va. – AIS, a cloud and AI company to the federal government and large companies, announced that it has acquired Reston-based Dorrean, a provider of technology to national security federal agencies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. AIS is backed by Blue Delta Capital Partners.
“As a combined entity, our cloud, data, AI and mission-focused capabilities will be easily accessible across the entire federal government through Unrestricted, Prime contracts including OASIS+, DOJ’s ITSSS-2, the Tradewinds OTA, and the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS),” said Larry Katzman, CEO of AIS.
McLean-based Booz Allen Hamilton Invests in Firestorm Labs
McLean, Va. – Booz Allen Hamilton, the McLean-based management and technology consulting firm, said that its venture capital arm, Booz Allen Ventures, has invested an unspecified amount in California-based Firestorm Labs, an additive manufacturing company that develops 3D-printed military drones. Booz Allen said the company’s systems support the military in resource-constrained operating environments, such as the Indo-Pacific. Firestorm’s new round of funding will support its xCell technology, which is a "factory-in-a-box" that can manufacture components and materials within hours on the battlefield.
“As adversaries increasingly weaponize inexpensive, commercial off-the-shelf systems, the U.S. must reimagine defense manufacturing with speed at the forefront,” said Shands Pickett, the senior vice president of defense technology and strategy at Booz Allen. “We invested in Firestorm Labs because we believe their effective, flexible and low-cost unmanned aerial systems will help ensure the U.S. maintains the world’s strongest and most lethal warfighting force.”
McLean-based Red Cell Hires Former Google, Amazon Executive
McLean, Va. – Red Cell Partners, a McLean-based incubation and investment firm focused on technology-led healthcare, cyber and national security companies, has named former Google and Amazon executive Michael Kilberry as its chief product and technology officer. Kilberry will be tasked with identifying market opportunities, defining product and technical strategies and working closely with teams across Red Cell’s incubations. Kilberry most recently served as the head of product for AI/ML, data and analytics at Google Cloud, and previously was the head of product at Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Virginia Beach-based Kilsar Raises $3.7 Million for AI Software
Virginia Beach, Va. – Kilsar, a Virginia Beach-based developer of AI software focused on institutional knowledge capture and maintenance training, said it has raised $3.7 million in a new seed round of funding, co-led by Lightbank and Cotulla Capital. Techstars and Scalewolf also participated in the round, which the company will use to expand its engineering and deployment teams, accelerate onboarding across defense and commercial maintenance organizations and further develop Orion's real-time AI assistant that replaces static manuals with searchable, enriched content. Kilsar also has announced a new partnership with the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) to help address what it calls “the growing crisis in aviation maintenance training and workforce readiness.”
TEDCO Picks Collide Capital to Help Manage Venture Fund
Columbia, Md. – TEDCO, Maryland's government economic development entity, has selected Collide Capital as an early-stage venture capital fund manager to help invest up to $10 million in federal Department of Treasury State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) funding. TEDCO has announced that it will receive $50 million in funding from the SSBCI initiative. Collide Capital is a $66 million Black-owned venture capital firm
"This allocation reflects TEDCO's continued commitment to supporting the growth of an inclusive and sustainable merit-based ecosystem across the state," said Troy LeMaile-Stovall, CEO of TEDCO. "Through our collaboration with Collide Capital, we are hoping to expand our reach, support more underserved individuals, bridge gaps in the system and allow for innovative advancements."
Briefly Noted
(Bethesda, Md.) Bethesda-based Quantum Xchange, developer of a management platform designed to protect data from advances in computing and cybersecurity risks, has named Antonio Sanchez as its chief strategy officer. Sanchez previously held leadership roles in product management, marketing and technical sales at Dell, Symantec, Forcepoint, Alert Logic and Fortra.
(Washington, DC) DC-based Babel Street, a provider of data and analytics tools designed to help organizations make more informed decisions, has named Arun Sankaran as its executive vice president of threat and vendor risk solutions. Sankaran was previously the founder and CEO of 202 Group, a DC-based data analytics company.
(Vienna, Va.) Vienna-based Corsha, the developer of a machine identity platform designed to secure operational systems and critical infrastructure, has named Sam Whelan as its chief revenue officer and Brian Reed as its chief market officer. Whelan most recently served as the CRO at Viso Trust, and Reed was the senior vice president of marketing at Appdome.