Hacking 4 Allies (H4A) 2022-23 kicked off last week, with this year’s cohort meeting in Oslo for a series of seminars and workshops beginning the BMNT-led program. H4A is a dual-use innovation program for Norwegian start-ups, SME’s and other non-traditional defense and security companies. The program supports technology-focused companies with ambitions and relevance in the national security sector. H4A connects selected companies with current and operational problem sets in Norway and in the U.S. The program has selected eight Norwegian companies for the 2022/23 annual cycle.
Led by Silicon-Valley based BMNT, the H4A acceleration program was designed to attract innovation and technology from around the world to bolster the lagging US R&D market. The aim of the program was formulated to encourage the chosen cohort to build a business that could survive the very long sales timelines of the defense industry. Innovation Norway and FFi have spear-headed the Norwegian program, and the highly successful results have prompted them to become global leaders in innovation and R&D. Following the success of the initiative, BMNT are looking to implement the Norwegian model in Australia and possibly the UK.
Norway has long been leading the charge in defensive capabilities abroad, and Norwegian allied cooperation is now facilitating more support in the United States than ever. Indeed, Norway is the fourth largest military provider to the US, preceded only by Canada, UK, and Australia. The program will encourage the cohort to be more mission driven and problem centric – coming back to the same question; what problem are you solving?
Keynote sessions were given by members of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense and “Team Norway” representatives in both Oslo and Washington D.C. Colonel Jan Fredrik Jeinar (NOR MoD) emphasized how we must approach innovation holistically. Innovation is more than just technology, he stressed, and it must be utilized in the most effective way to understand the challenges we face at a deeper level. The Colonel encouraged the cohort to challenge and enlighten the MoD and understand that although H4A is getting the “train moving” there is a long way to go.
Director of NADIC, Chloe Friberg, discussed the invaluable “Team Norway” network established in Washington D.C. alongside the Royal Norwegian Embassy and Innovation Norway. Together with NADIC, this ecosystem provides the cohort with a priceless platform of US-based knowledgeable experts, advisors, and growth strategists to help them with their goals.
Major General Odd-Harald Hagen, from the Royal Norwegian Embassy Washington D.C., encouraged the cohort to not underestimate America’s role as Norway’s closest and strongest ally - when the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan, the two remaining flags were the Norwegian and American. The importance of Norway’s geopolitical location is only going to hold further importance as Chinese interest in the high North intensifies and opportunities, and challenges, arise through climatic changes. These developments require companies to not solely focus on military capabilities, but instead remain innovative and niche.
Throughout the next seven months, the companies with meet regularly with BMNT leaders and creative executives at Halogen to strategize and further understand the U.S. defense market, culminating in their opportunity to pitch to Silicon Valley and US defense executives in March.
The H4A cohort will be at the Norway booth at AUSA, should you be interested in meeting with the companies.
H4A Cohort 2022-23
Blueye Robotics
Blueye was produced to create technology that made access to what’s below the surface easier. Blueye has its roots in the highly renowned Centre for Autonomous Marine Operations and Systems (AMOS) at NTNU in Norway. Exceptional ease of use and robustness has been the overarching design goals since the beginning. Drawing on competence from world-leading marine engineers, seasoned software developers and award-winning industrial, mechanists and electronics designers Blueye strongly believe they have created the world’s best underwater drones.
Dolphitech
Dolphitech was formed from a desire to push the limits of ultrasonic non-destructive testing (NDT). Across all industries, Dolphitech provides an unbeatable ultrasonic matrix imaging technology to inspect and detect damage, degradation, and defects in mission-critical assets. The Dolphicam2 is the culmination of over 10 years of dedicated R&D and field experience. The technical teams have pushed boundaries of ultrasonic matrix imaging, providing a platform for their customers technical challenges. Since 2009, the company has grown significantly and has since become an established technical leader in industrial NDT equipment to improve measurable efficiencies in testing, production processes and cost.
Fire Security
Fire Security offers certified sustainable solutions to extend cable life and avoid electrical fires, using non-toxic materials. They offer cable life extension, cable repair, and fire protection of electrical cables for industrial clients worldwide. They conduct turnkey projects for an extensive client base both onshore and offshore, including rigs, FPSO, LNG vessels and petrochemical refineries. FS’s ability to preserve and extend the lifetime and functionality of existing cables without replacement results in less production and installation of new cables has a positive impact on our global environment, whilst saving end users time and money.
Nordic Batteries
Nordic Batteries assembles and manufactures battery packs and energy systems, customized for maritime and demanding industrial application, enabling the green shift. Subsequently, Nordic Batteries will deliver the first climate friendly, new battery solutions and re-manufacture (second-life) battery solutions profitably in 2022. The partnership with ZEM (part of Volvo Penta) gives us access to the newest battery and fuel-cell technology. They will set-up a word leading battery assembly/remanufacturing facilities with Industry 4.0 solutions – limited technology risk as Nordic Batteries source proven components from suppliers.
PONE Biometrics
Phone Biometrics provide a scalable solution that makes upgrade security readily available and fast to deploy for everyone managing sensitive data within enterprises, public sector, healthcare and defense. They provide sustainable quality solutions that are well-designed, easy to use and comply to the highest level of security. Their first product, OFFPAD, is a unique phishing resistant biometric token offered through an on-prem or cloud-based service.
SentiSystems
SentiSystems deliver precise and resilient real-time sensor fusion for autonomous and robotic systems. The company offers a novel platform solution for real-time sensor data processing. They started their journey with sensor integration for autonomous operations, but the versatility of our platform makes it suitable for a variety of other intelligent applications such as mapping, monitoring and surveillance systems.
Squarehead Technology
Squarehead Technology enables the use of precision audio capture of acoustical events. Systems from Squarehead can both understand where a sound, e.g. a drone, is coming from and focus in on that sound. By filtering out and reducing unwanted noise from areas of no interest, Squarehead achieves better range and clearer sound compared to conventional systems. They provide the system that allows super hearing at military installations and operations.
Tundra Drone
Their mission is to connect with those who are drone pilots – to listen, interact and learn more about your needs – and make drone equipment that give you superpowers. Subsequently, the team has spent hours prototyping, testing, and trying to understand how to make the best possible drone lighting for the drone pilot. These insights were used to create the Automoving light and make it possible to do drone operations in the dark with drones like DJI Mavic 2. The utility of the AUTOMOVING LIGHT opens new possibilities for drone operators using DJI Mavic 2s in a wide range of industrial and commercial applications.