Metro State Faculty and students have been selected to collaborate with GetChkd Inc. and AFWERX to advance GetChkd Inc.'s Blockchain Infrastructure Platform as part of GetChkd Inc. receiving a $1.7 contract for a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project with AFWERX to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution. The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and on August 16, 2024, GetChkd Inc. started its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
"The opportunity to extend the use of our Blockchain Infrastructure Platform, while also accelerating commercialization in the private sector, is a significant milestone for GetChkd," said Michael Caplovitz, Founder and CEO of GetChkd. "We are honored to collaborate with AFWERX and researchers at Metro State University to advance this technology."
"This project offers Metro State University Students a unique opportunity to engage with cutting-edge blockchain technology through GetChkd's platform," said Faisal Kaleem, Metro State professor and department chair, "delivering innovative solutions to the DTO: DAF Digital Transformation Office."
"The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. government."
About GetChkd Inc.
GetChkd's state-of-the-art blockchain infrastructure platform revolutionizes system connectivity, enforces user-specific mappings, and ensures immutable audit trails for every action. This guarantees unparalleled security, accountability, and reliability for a connected system of systems across various domains and classifications. GetChkd: The Foundation of Trust in a Connected World.
About Metro State University
Metro State University in conjunction with MN Cyber (Minnesota) is specialized in IoT security, foreign adversary censorship, and network security. Metro State is recognized as an NSA Designated Center for Excellence in Cyber Defense (NCAE-CD).
About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development, and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.
About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at five hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has executed over 6,100 new contracts worth more than $4 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: www.afwerx.com.