o Arlington-Based Core4ce Acquires Azimuth
o DC’s C5 Capital Partners with Ukraine Defense Accelerator
o McLean-Based Kajeet Lands New Investment from MWP
o LinkedIn Names Top DC Startups in Inaugural List
o Gladius Communications Acquires DC-Based Marcoux Strategies
Arlington-Based Core4ce Acquires Azimuth
Arlington, Va. – Core4ce, an Arlington-based federal contractor focused on data and cyber operations, said on Tuesday it has acquired Ohio-based Azimuth, a provider of military electronics, optics, and biotech services with local offices in Tysons. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Core4ce said the move will combine its innovation incubator– known as The Forge - with Azimuth’s Autonomy, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (AAIM) Lab, which focuses on basic and applied research capabilities for the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community. Founded in 2001, Azimuth currently has 140 employees and serves clients including the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Research Laboratory, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and Office of the Secretary of Defense
DC’s C5 Capital Partners with Ukraine Defense Technology Accelerator
Washington, DC – C5 Capital, a specialty venture capital firm based in DC and London, said it has partnered with Ukrainian defense technology accelerator Brave1 to help advance startups developing technologies aimed at helping Ukraine respond to attacks from Russia. Under the deal, C5 will provide investment capital and mentorship to Ukrainian founders looking to grow and scale their defense startups, many of whom already have seen their technologies deployed in battlefield conditions. The firm said the war has sparked a wave of technological breakthroughs, particularly in the areas of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.
McLean-Based Kajeet Lands New Investment from MWP Growth Capital
McLean, Va. – Kajeet, a McLean-based wireless technology developer for the education and enterprise markets, said it has landed a new investment from Ohio-based MWP Growth Capital. The financial terms of the deal, which were part of a controlled recapitalization, were not disclosed. Kajeet’s current leadership team will remain in place to oversee operations and help accelerate the company’s expansion across high-growth segments of the wireless and IoT markets. Rob Adams, managing partner at MWP, said the investment will “support both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.”
LinkedIn Names Top DC Startups in Inaugural List
Washington, DC – Anduril Industries, a California-based AI military technology firm, heads LinkedIn’s inaugural list of the Top Startups in Washington, DC. The list is built on LinkedIn data across employee growth, jobseeker interest, member engagement within the company and its employees, and how well these startups have pulled talent from LinkedIn’s national Top Companies list. The list not only companies headquartered in the area, but also companies with significant operations in the region. Anduril, founded in 2017, currently has 370 employees in DC. New York-based computer and network security firm Wiz, San Francisco-based information services firm TRM Labs, DC-based nuclear electric power company Last Energy, and Utah-based software development firm Strider Technologies rounded out the top five. The complete list is available here.
Gladius Communications Acquires DC-Based Marcoux Strategies
Washington, DC – Gladius Communications, a North Carolina-based strategic communications consultancy, said it has acquired DC-based defense and aerospace technology communications firm Marcoux Strategies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Marcoux's founder and CEO, Sandra Pérez, has joined Gladius as a vice president, leading the combined firm's defense and aerospace practice. Four-year-old Marcoux focused on developing communications strategies for federal-civilian and defense agencies and their contractors.
Briefly Noted:
(Washington, DC) A month after completing its acquisition of Axient, DC-based Astrion, a provider of mission support and engineering services to the federal government, has revamped its leadership team under current CEO Dave Zolet. The new team, available at THIS LINK, consists of executives from both Astrion and Axient.
(McLean, Va.) McLean-based defense technology company Raft said it has promoted Mark Procaccini to COO and Danielle McCoy to chief people officer. Procaccini joined the company in April as senior vice president of operations, and McCoy, who has been with the company since November 2022, most recently served as senior director of people.
(Halethorpe, Md.) Halethorpe-based cybersecurity company IronNet has named Mike Hewitt, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, as its lead independent director. Hewitt, who first joined the board as a director in February, also will lead a newly formed National Security Advisory Council of distinguished leaders.