The Defense Innovation Board has issued a survey to solicit insights from investment firms and businesses on how to boost partnerships with private companies to drive growth in critical technology areas, Defense News reported Wednesday. The survey issued by DIB’s strategic investment capital task force on Wednesday seeks to generate feedback from companies about the […] More

Will Roper, a seasoned defense and technology leader and three-time Wash100 Award winner, has been added to the operating executive board of private equity firm J.F. Lehman & Company. As an OEB member, Roper will contribute to strategy formation, investment inquiry and portfolio maintenance of the organization’s designated sectors of aerospace, defense, maritime, government and environmental, JFLCO said Wednesday. […] More

Volansi has partnered with Sierra Nevada Corp. to provide the U.S. Army with an unmanned aircraft system offering designed for vertical take-off and landing. The Army selected the Volansi/SNC VTOL platform as a potential product under the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System Increment 2 program, as a result of the technology’s durability and redundancy, Volansi […] More

Will Roper, former assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics at the U.S. Air Force and a three-time Wash100 winner, has been named to Vita Inclinata's board of directors. Caleb Carr, president and CEO of Vita Inclinata, said in a statement published Thursday Roper will work with the company as it works to provide military branches and civilian markets with military-grade safety offerings.

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Will Roper, assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics at the U.S. Air Force and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, said the Department of Defense approved $116M in funds for small launch contracts but decided to redirect the funds to small business loan initiatives, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.

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The U.S. Air Force will host a virtual pitch day on Monday, June 15, to allow government officials, industry stakeholders, academia and small businesses to discuss and advance the development of quantum technologies in support of warfighters.

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Enview has received a contract through the U.S. Air Force’s AFVentures Strategic Financing program to expand its offerings for the service branch and the Department of Defense.

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The U.S. Air Force has begun to assess whether it can integrate an artificial intelligence platform, Skyborg, into an F-35 or F-15EX fighter aircraft to enable pilots to control the Kratos Defense-built XQ-58 Valkyrie unmanned air vehicle and other drones, Defense News reported Wednesday. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, told the publication Tuesday that the service is in talks with Lockheed Martin and Boeing on the plan to team fighter aircraft with drones through the Skyborg program.

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Executive Mosaic is pleased to announce that Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary for the U.S. Air Force, was selected to join the 2019 edition of the Wash100 — Executive Mosaic’s annual selection of the most influential voices in the government contracting arena — for his efforts to accelerate development of hypersonic weapons and for streamlining the contract award process for small businesses and technology startups.

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The Air Force awarded $8.75M in contracts to 51 small businesses at the service’s two-day pitch day event that kicked off Wednesday in New York City, DVIDS reported Thursday. The service’s contracting officials awarded the contracts and issued initial payments to companies within minutes using a government credit card after evaluating the proposals of 59 firms selected out of 417 submissions.

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The U.S. Air Force plans to host an event on March 6 and 7 in New York City in a push to transform how the military service collaborates with startup companies.

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Will Roper, undersecretary of the U.S. Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, has said the service intends to award contracts to companies with emerging technology platforms within 24 hours through “startup days,” Defense News reported Monday. He told the publication in a Sept. 7 interview that prior to the actual startup days, the branch would ask […] More