Urban Air Mobility Challenge Names 19 Finalists for $50K Prize
August 9, 2022
The Vertical Lift Consortium (VLC), in partnership with TechConnect and Advanced Technology International (ATI), has announced 19 finalists for its Urban Air Mobility Challenge. The finalists will receive membership to the VLC and the chance to win $50,000 in non-dilutive funds through a pitch competition to be held on Sept. 28 at the Defense TechConnect Innovation Summit in Washington, D.C.
Almost 80% of the finalists represent technology readiness level four or greater, and 86% represent non-traditional companies, VLC said.
“We are proud to partner with the Vertical Lift Consortium, which leads the country in acceleration, funding and deployment of emerging air mobility technologies,” said Matthew Laudon, vice president – TechConnect Division at ATI. “Thanks to VLC, the Urban Air Mobility Challenge delivered breakthrough innovations that will help our nation rethink what is possible in logistically complex civilian and contested airspaces.”
Finalists offered solutions primarily featuring autonomous and collaborative technologies, data and systems situational management, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), innovative air mobility capabilities, and power generation and storage. VLC said the finalists not only stand to earn funding this fall; they also receive membership to the Vertical Lift Consortium, which supports the Department of Defense’s future vertical lift strategy.
“Through the Urban Air Mobility Challenge, we hope to shed light on new and non-traditional companies that can fundamentally change how the Department of Defense approaches developing future vertical lift employment strategies,” said Nick Lappos – chairman of the Vertical Lift Consortium. “Many innovators find the Government’s procurement system overwhelming, but through the Vertical Lift Consortium, they can focus on perfecting cutting-edge solutions and delivering what is most promising to federal clients.”
The 19 finalists are:
- 4Front Robotics / University of Calgary
- Aerial Vehicle Automation
- Aliptera, Inc.
- Coolbuck, Inc. (photo, above)
- Design, Analysis and Research Corporation
- Elphel, Inc.
- InceptEV
- Information Systems Laboratories, Inc.
- KRyanCreative, LLC
- Lectratek, LLC
- LeVanta Tech, LLC
- LuftCar, LLC
- Luna Labs USA, LLC
- NEOEx Systems, Inc.
- PhasorLab, Inc.
- Reliable Autonomy, LLC
- SpyDar
- Valquari
- Volexion
For more details on the pitch event, visit the TechConnect website here.
