Deep Tech Startups Win Key Award for AI Power and Radiation Tech

LA QUINTA, CA – February 27, 2026 – Two startups developing critical technologies for national security and infrastructure resilience have been named winners of a prestigious competition designed to bridge the gap between deep tech labs and real-world deployment. At the inaugural Warfighting Innovation Summit, FedTech announced Novos Power and WearableDose as the top companies in its 2026 Crucible pitch competitions, spotlighting innovations poised to solve urgent challenges in power management for AI and real-time radiation detection.

The awards, presented at an event that gathered venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and federal acquisition officials, underscore a growing movement to accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge commercial technology for defense and civilian applications. Novos Power, which is creating advanced infrastructure to stabilize power grids strained by AI data centers, won the Ignitor studio competition for early-stage concepts. WearableDose, which has developed an AI-driven patch for monitoring radiation exposure, secured the Accelerator prize for startups ready to scale. The wins provide both companies with crucial visibility among Department of War prime contractors and private investors, accelerating their path to market.

Powering the Future of AI and National Infrastructure

Novos Power is tackling a problem that has rapidly emerged as a critical vulnerability for both the commercial tech industry and national security: the immense and volatile energy demands of artificial intelligence. As AI data centers proliferate, their power consumption is projected to surge by over 160% by 2030, placing unprecedented stress on aging electrical grids. Unlike traditional computing loads, AI workloads can cause massive power fluctuations—swinging by hundreds of megawatts in seconds—threatening grid stability and potentially triggering regional outages.

The company’s solution is an advanced solid-state transformer (SST) infrastructure. These semiconductor-based systems represent a significant leap beyond traditional, bulky magnetic transformers. SSTs act as a sophisticated "power buffer," absorbing sudden energy spikes and smoothing out erratic demand from AI facilities. This capability not only protects the data center's sensitive equipment but also insulates the wider power grid from destabilizing shocks.

Furthermore, solid-state transformers are more efficient, have a significantly smaller physical footprint, and offer superior power quality management—all critical factors for densely packed data centers. By enabling more seamless integration with renewable energy sources and battery storage, the technology also paves the way for more resilient and sustainable energy infrastructure. As data centers become indispensable to economic activity and defense operations, ensuring their power supply is stable and secure is a matter of national importance, transforming Novos Power’s work from a niche technical solution into a cornerstone of modern infrastructure resilience.

From Lab to Lifesaver: A New Era in Radiation Safety

WearableDose, the winner of FedTech’s Accelerator program, exemplifies the successful transition of government-funded research into a life-saving dual-use technology. Originating from research at Sandia National Laboratories, the company has created an AI-driven, real-time wearable dosimetry patch that is set to revolutionize radiation safety in both medicine and defense.

The core innovation is a flexible, disposable sensor that provides immediate feedback on both the location and dosage of radiation exposure. This is a dramatic improvement over traditional film badges, which only reveal exposure levels after the fact. In a clinical setting, this allows for unprecedented precision during cancer radiotherapy. The AI-integrated patch can help optimize the targeting of tumors while ensuring minimal damage to surrounding healthy tissue. If a patient moves during treatment, the system can detect the shift and signal the radiation beam to shut off, preventing accidental harm.

The same technology has profound implications for national security. It provides a vital tool for protecting military personnel and first responders operating in radiologically hazardous environments. Whether responding to a nuclear incident or working near radiological materials, warfighters can receive real-time alerts about their exposure levels, enhancing situational awareness and long-term health outcomes. The technology's journey from a national lab, through the Department of Energy’s Energy I-Corps program, and into a FedTech-supported startup highlights a successful pathway for commercializing federally developed research for broad societal and strategic impact.

The Blueprint for Accelerating Defense Innovation

The success of Novos Power and WearableDose is not an accident but the product of a deliberate strategy to cultivate a more dynamic defense innovation ecosystem. Organizations like FedTech and the Creative Defense Foundation, which hosted the summit, are at the forefront of this effort, building a new blueprint for turning promising lab concepts into fielded capabilities.

FedTech, a venture studio founded in 2015, specializes in this transition. By partnering with federal labs, agencies, and universities, it matches deep technologies with entrepreneurial talent, providing mentorship and validation to de-risk the commercialization process. Its track record is formidable: alumni from its programs have collectively raised over $5 billion in funding, and the organization has helped launch over 150 deep-tech startups. This model is crucial for overcoming the infamous "valley of death," where promising technologies often languish for lack of funding and market access.

"The quality of the companies this year was outstanding. These are serious founders working on real problems that matter to our warfighters and to our country," said FedTech's CEO Ben Solomon. "What stood out most was how clearly they understand the mission need and how their technology can make an impact at scale."

Events like the Warfighting Innovation Summit are a key component of this strategy. By bringing together innovators, investors, and government end-users, they break down the institutional and cultural barriers that have historically slowed the Pentagon's adoption of new technology. This collaborative approach is seen as essential for maintaining a technological edge in an era of renewed great power competition, mirroring broader Department of War initiatives like the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) that aim to leverage commercial tech for military advantage. This ecosystem provides a vital platform for deep tech founders, giving them the exposure and guidance needed to navigate the complex worlds of government contracting and venture capital. For the Department of War, it creates a pipeline of vetted, cutting-edge solutions to pressing operational challenges. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the nation’s warfighters are equipped with the most advanced tools available, moving at the speed of innovation rather than the speed of bureaucracy.