HawkEye 360 Celebrates Grand Opening of New Herndon Headquarters + Weekly Business News Digest

Weekly Business News Digest

An Amazon-ian housing fund expansion: Amazon.com is replenishing its fully committed $2.2 billion Housing Equity Fund with an additional $1.4 billion, the e-commerce and cloud computing giant announced Tuesday, according to Washington Business Journal. The company uses the fund to make below-market rate loans and grants that have together with public subsidies have created or preserved some 21,000 affordable units across its three hub regions: Greater Washington, D.C., Seattle and Nashville. Of the fund’s $2.2 billion committed to date, about $1.1 billion has gone to projects in Greater Washington, supporting about 9,400 units across more than two dozen properties. The biggest projects have been Crystal House and Barcroft Apartments in Arlington County, home to Amazon’s second headquarters.

GMU is lighting up the sky: Fairfax County-based George Mason University will build and launch an “artificial star” into orbit, WTOP reported. The small satellite will be equipped with solar panels and a set of lasers that astronomers will be able to see from telescopes on the ground. “We’ll have devices on the spacecraft, watching how much light those lasers put out. And then we’ll see how much that light reaches our telescopes. We’ll be able to measure to a level that’s never been measured before, how bright the things are that we’re looking in the sky next to it,” GMU associate professor of physics and astronomy Peter Plavchan said. Plavchan is serving as the principal investigator for the $19.5 million Landolt NASA Space Mission. Using the light the mission aims to provide, scientists will be able to calibrate telescopes to more accurately measure the brightness of stars. Mason News and Northern Virginia Magazine have more.

Robust data center pipeline: Boston-based construction company Suffolk has opened an office in Herndon, citing the area’s robust data center pipeline, Bisnow reported. This is the first office in the D.C. region for Suffolk, which has 11 other locations, including New York, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas. “Suffolk is recognized for its wealth of experience managing complicated, sophisticated data center and government projects nationwide, and Virginia is an important hub for that development activity,” said Charles McCarthy, Suffolk’s mission-critical national chief operating officer.

Owlet flying way high up: Reston-based Scout Space, a startup specializing in space domain awareness through in-space observation, announced June 10 it signed a launch services agreement with El Segundo, California-based ABL Space Systems, according to SpaceNews. The agreement is for the launch of Scout’s “Owlet-01” telescope on ABL’s third flight of its RS1 small-satellite launcher scheduled for later this year. Scout develops optical sensors for space traffic management and other applications. The Owlet is a version of the company’s Owl telescope aimed at military applications in geostationary and cislunar orbits. “We are thrilled to partner with ABL Space Systems for this pivotal launch,” said Philip Hover-Smoot, CEO of Scout Space. “This mission will not only validate our Owl product line of optical payload systems but also demonstrate the advanced capabilities of our data exploitation and autonomy solutions.

Par for the course: Tysons-based Booz Allen Hamilton has acquired Rome, New York-based PAR Government Systems Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly traded restaurant and retail technology firm PAR Technology Corp., for $95 million, reported Washington Business Journal. In a release, Booz Allen noted that PAR Government Systems’ tech is used to provide military operators with various types of communications and mapping technology on a battlefield. “This acquisition reinforces Booz Allen’s commitment to help accelerate the modernization of tactical warfighting mission systems and secure the future,” said Judi Dotson, sector president of Booz Allen’s global defense business.

Accommodating growth: Slable, an information technology and services company, relocated its  headquarters offices within Fairfax to 3928 Pender Drive, reported citybiz. Slable move was to seek an upgraded new custom high-end space for better workflows and mesh two corporate cultures after an acquisition made by Slable in 2023, according to the company. Karl Stallknecht, CEO of Slable, stated “Our specific geographic, budget and square footage requirements were met and our new facility will help accommodate our growth, enhance our brand and better serve our clients.”

Buying spree: Tysons events software company Cvent is on a “bit of a buying spree,” reported Washington Business Journal. On June 10, Cvent closed its third acquisition this year, buying Reposite, a New York vendor whose artificial intelligence-powered database helps match event planners with suppliers. Founded in 1999 by CEO Reggie Aggarwal, Cvent provides technology for marketing and executing virtual, in-person and hybrid meetings and events. Cvent was acquired by the investment firm Blackstone in a $4.6 billion deal a year ago, which subsequently took it private. Since January, it has bought Jifflenow of Roseville, California, and Boise, Idaho’s iCapture, both for undisclosed sums, in what were its first add-on acquisitions since 2022.

Foxy move: Herndon-based Everfox (formerly Forcepoint Federal) agreed to purchase London-based Garrison Technology. The addition of Garrison’s hardware-enforced security software capabilities into the Everfox software suite of cross domain, threat protection and insider risk solutions will provide enterprise customers in government and regulated industries a broader set of innovative cybersecurity solutions to protect their digital infrastructure, according to Everfox. Sean Berg, CEO of Everfox, said: “We entered 2024 with great momentum, with the separation from Forcepoint and standing up Everfox. We are continuing our focus on growth and innovation and are excited to add Garrison’s hardsec and software solutions to our portfolio. PE Hub has more.

Reaching for the cloud: Chantilly-based VTG acquired Upland, California-based Clear Cloud, a provider of software, cloud and data engineering products and services for intelligence community customers, according to ExecutiveBiz. “The acquisition of Clear Cloud enables VTG to address emerging challenges to national security and highlights our commitment to investing in the software-oriented capabilities and expertise our intelligence community customers need most,” said John Hassoun, president and CEO of VTG.  In April, VTG purchased Vana Solutions, a Dayton, Ohio-based company focused on delivering cloud services, advanced analytics, data fabric platforms and other technology offerings in support of mission-critical national security programs.

Ecosystem expansion investment: Reston-based CargoSense announced an initial close on an $8 million Series A investment round, led by Lanza techVentures, citybiz reported. The investment will enable CargoSense to expand its partner ecosystem of integrated management systems, data sources, and industrial IoT platforms available to digital agents running on the Visibility OS. This will empower CargoSense’s global customers with the tools to automate and simplify additional aspects of their supply chain operations. Recent growth at CargoSense has earned the company a place on the Financial Times’ list of The Americas Fastest Growing Companies for 2024, and back-to-back appearances on the Inc. 5000 list of Fastest Growing Companies for 2022 and 2023.

Sled whirl: Tysons-based Swish Data Corporation (Swish), a provider of technology solutions and engineering services to the U.S. federal government, announced that the company will broaden their reach beyond civilian agencies and the Department of Defense (DoD) to include State, Local and Educational (SLED) institutions. “At Swish, we believe that technology has the power to transform and uplift communities. With the launch of our SLED initiative, we are excited to bring our expertise and passion to help state, local, and educational organizations improve citizen experiences with innovative, secure solutions,” said Monty Deel, chief executive officer for Swish. Fox5 San Diego picked up the release.

Investing in school bus safety: Lorton-based BusPatrol, a developer of school bus safety technology, landed an investment from Tampa-based Weatherford Capital, which follows an investment earlier this year from private equity firm GI Partners. Founded in 2017, BusPatrol provides cameras and software on school buses with the aim of reducing dangerous passes of stopped school buses. The cameras and analytics are used by municipalities and police departments to issue tickets and violations. Potomac Tech Wire and GovTech have more.

Caring for pets: Candy maker Mars is the biggest vet provider in the country, according to a feature article in Fortune. Mars was founded in 1911 when Frank C. Mars began making and selling butter cream candy from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. Based in McLean, Mars has $50 billion in sales. Of the roughly 150,000 individuals who work for Mars, nearly half work at Mars Veterinary Health, the unit that buys and operates vet clinics and hospitals. “As a family-owned business with nearly 90 years of experience and heritage caring for pets, we work to positively impact pets and the people who care for them,” Doug Drew, president of Mars Veterinary Health North America, said in a statement. “When we acquire a veterinary business, our model is to grow and develop it, to positively contribute to the veterinary sector, the profession, and the pet owner experience over generations.” Click here to read more about Mars.

Summer Food and Resource Rally: Reston-based StarKist, Feed the Children, and Cornerstones hosted their Third Annual Summer Food and Resource Rally at Cornerstones’ Food Rescue Empowerment Enterprise, or FREE from Hunger Center, in Sterling, Virginia. United in their commitment to end food insecurity along the Dulles Corridor region, nearly 100 regional business leaders, elected officials, StarKist employee volunteers, and community advocates joined forces on June 6 to provide hands-on support and encourage greater community investment and volunteerism to combat food insecurity, reduce food waste, and enhance food rescue initiatives. “StarKist is committed to helping alleviate food insecurity for families in need,” said Tom Aslin, Vice President, Marketing of StarKist. “Through our StarKist Cares corporate giving efforts across the country, we know food insecurity has a devastating impact on lower-income communities. Our employees actively work to live our vision – to provide trusted, nutritious protein foods to more people. Here in Northern Virginia, where StarKist is headquartered, we are proud to partner again with Feed the Children and Cornerstones and are honored this year to extend our engagement to new community partners working to combat hunger in this region.” Patch.com has more.

Contract Wins

Amentum (Chantilly) received a five-year, $256 million follow-on contract from NASA to provide program, engineering, project management, science and operations support services for the space agency’s Ames Research Center in California. GovConWire

Northrop Grumman (Falls Church area) secured a task order from the U.S. Air Force to continue providing operations and sustainment support services for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node aircraft through January 2027. ExecutiveBiz

June 20, 2024 — 10th Annual Wharton DC Innovation Summit. The Wharton Club of DC presents the 10th annual Wharton DC Innovation Summit. With FCEDA as a strategic partner, this event is set to unfold at the state-of-the-art Valo Park Conference Center in Tysons. All are welcome. Whether you attended Wharton or Penn, or elsewhere, everyone who wants to leverage the power of innovation should attend the event. The theme, Create an Innovation Ecosystem: Maximize Your Results, is based on the premise that “a rising tide raises all boats.” Click here to find out more, see the list of speakers, and to register.

June 26, 2024 — How Northern Virginia’s Ties to Europe Boost and Sustain the Local Economy and Environment – And What More Can Be Done. Please join the NVRC and Johns Hopkins University’s Foreign Policy Institute for a webinar that will explore the dynamic of economic engagement between the U.S. and Europe and its effects on Virginia and Northern Virginia. Click here to register for this free webinar.