Squadra News: Oregon to DC to Germany to Kyiv
How is it March already? From an onsite celebration in Oregon with Overwatch Imaging to meeting Ukrainian innovators in Kyiv, Squadra had our first 24-hour day.
How is it March already? The Squadra team had its first-ever 24 hour day in February. With team members in Oregon for a 10 year birthday celebration to meetings with Ukrainian innovators in Kyiv, Squadra was working around the clock. Our founders are proving around the world that software-defined hardware and mission-critical AI are no longer “future tech,” they are the current standard.
Consider this your go-to snapshot of what's happening this month and how to engage. In this edition you will find:
📈 Big moves in portfolio news
✨ Highlights from across the network
🚀 Events and opportunities to connect
Company News to Celebrate
🇺🇸 Overwatch Imaging turned 10! We celebrated a decade of mission-ready sensor autonomy with knock out events in DC and Hood River. From mapping wildfires to tracking threats, the team has deployed smart sensors and launched sensor-agnostic ASO, bringing autonomy to ISR missions and super-human vision to operators globally. Check out the photo recap on LinkedIn and read about the company’s growth in the Portland Business Journal.
🛰️ Falcomm announced its new 4W K-band GaN Power Amplifier, delivering nearly 45% PAE in a compact, production ready solution. Designed for next-gen high frequency applications, this PA is now available for production orders and system integration testing via evaluation boards. Read the announcement on LinkedIn.
💥 PDW was selected as one of 25 companies to compete in the Pentagon’s $1B “Drone Dominance” program, advancing to Phase I of the effort to rapidly scale low-cost, one-way attack drone capabilities for U.S. forces. Read more in the Washington Times.
🛡️ Shift5 has joined Anduril Industries’ team supporting the U.S. Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative. By integrating real-time vehicle health and operational data into Anduril’s command-and-control network, Shift5 is helping enhance battlefield awareness and maintenance readiness across Army units. Read the article in Tectonic.
🌊 Tidal Cyber announced the appointment of Cat Self as Senior Director of Adversary Research, a major milestone for the company’s threat intelligence and emulation leadership. Bringing deep expertise from MITRE and beyond, Cat will lead research initiatives that help organizations translate complex adversary tradecraft into actionable insights. Read the press release.
Network Highlights to Share
Reindustrialization in Phoenix: Dan Madden took the stage at the Southwest Mission Acceleration Center’s Manifest West. Alongside experts from JIATF 401, CENTCOM, and CDAO, the conversation explored the vital intersection of national and domestic security for counter-UAS. Check out the recap on LinkedIn.
National Security Investment Surge: Between features on nightly news and rising investment dollars, it’s clear national security technologies are having more than their moment. It’s more than the funding. Founders today grew up in over 20 years of conflict and that has shaped the missions they want to put their hours towards. Margaret Roth and Overwatch Imaging CEO Greg Davis share their perspectives in Technical.ly.
Squad Goes East: Dan Madden and Dominic Ventimiglia represented Squadra at the Munich Security Conference, followed by several days in Ukraine. Having the opportunity to convene leaders at the center of policy and founders at the center of innovation was a great privilege. Read Ventimiglia’s reflections from the trip on LinkedIn.
Open Roles Across the Squad
👾 NetRise is hiring a GTM Engineer who will blend the best parts of a high-output SDR with the ability to scale their impact using best-of-breed AI martech tools to drive qualified opportunities for the sales team. Location: Remote
🚀 Overwatch Imaging is hiring an Associate Customer Program Manager to support customer satisfaction and success, driving a keep-it-sold strategy that cultivates customer satisfaction and identifies and captures follow-on sales opportunities. Location: Hood River, OR
🌐 Copia Automation is hiring a Technical Solutions Engineer to support sales from discovery through close, delivering tailored demos across PLC and OT environments, and translating complex plant-floor requirements into scalable software solutions. Location: New York, NY
✈️ PDW is hiring a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to lead the development of flight-critical software for next-generation autonomous drone systems. The role will own architecture and development and hardware bring-up from concept through field deployment. Location: Huntsville, AL
🛡️ Shift5 is hiring a Senior Systems Engineer to bridge hardware, software, and real-world defense deployments. The role will own system architecture, requirements management, compliance artifacts, and verification across complex DoD programs. Location: Arlington, VA
Up Next this Month
📊 Datalogz at Gartner Data & Analytics Summit 3/9: The Datalogz team is heading to Orlando to showcase the future of BI governance and operational oversight at enterprise scale. Visit Booth 430 in the Analytics and BI Village to see the Datalogz Control Tower in action across Power BI, Microsoft Fabric, Tableau and Qlik. See CEO Logan Havern onstage for a conversation with senior leadership: “Ending BI Sprawl with Georgia-Pacific and PepsiCo.” Learn more on LinkedIn.
✈️ PDW at Tectonic Defense Summit, 3/11 & 3/12: PDW CIO Ryan Gury is heading to Austin to join the "Drone Dominance" panel. Expect sharp insights on next-gen defense platforms and the rapidly evolving role of unmanned systems on the modern battlefield. If you're in Austin for the summit, this is a must-attend session for a look at the future of tactical edge capabilities. Register to join.
💰 Demystifying Defense Appropriations, 3/19: Gaining champions in the essential national security centers of gravity requires strategy. Next up in our Building in the Beltway series at Squadra HQ, Senior Policy Advisor to Representative Jake Ellzey (R-TX) Mike Velasquez will join us for a fireside chat sharing strategies for how to set your company up for success in this environment. Register on Luma.
🔐 Cybersecurity CEO Summit, 3/23: The Squadra team is proud to support the Piper Sandler cybersecurity team’s marquee event, joining top investors and leading cybersecurity operators for the unofficial kick-off to the RSA Conference in San Francisco, CA. Learn more.
Final Look from the Field
Endolith CEO Liz Dennett was recognized in honor of International Day of Women and Girls in Science as one of 11 “Women to Watch” protecting the planet by non-profit media group The Story Exchange.
Not only is the company woman led, but it’s woman built. Dennett’s company is now more than 50% female. Breaking away from the industry standard of 15%, Endolith is intentionally proving that the future of critical minerals and electrification won't be built by a narrow slice of the population. From kinetic modeling to the coldest parts of Alaska, Dennett’s message to the next generation of women in the lab: "Keep your elbows sharp." Read Dennett’s reflection on LinkedIn.
Squadra Ventures is a venture capital firm led by founder-operators that invests in early-stage national security companies advancing the critical edge.
Grounded in the belief that success is a combination of people, product, and planning, the Squadra team provides transformational support to startup leaders in the complex dual-use technology ecosystem. By applying a growth-stage mindset at the seed stage and a commitment to building alongside entrepreneurs, Squadra empowers extraordinary teams to win and leave a lasting positive impact on the world.
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