Nichols Martin
BAE Systems is sponsoring an expanded accelerator program jointly run by Techstars and the U.S. Air Force with the intent to help startup companies build technology platforms for government and commercial applications.
Techstars said BAE will recruit, select and engage participating entrepreneurs in the program as a sponsor.
The Air Force Accelerator Powered by Techstars is a follow-on of an experiment that was held in Boston during the first quarter of this year and aimed to foster collaboration between the service and commercial technology developers.
BAE financed pilot projects and mentored multiple participants in the program’s previous iteration that focused on autonomous platforms.
Jerry Wohletz, vice president and general manager of BAE’s FAST Labs, said the partnership supports the company’s objectives to develop and leverage “disruptive” technology.
The latest initiative will include new technology areas and a complementary version of the Small Business Innovation Research program in addition to corporate sponsorship.
