From the inception of the company in 2008, the United States Air Force has been at the forefront of supporting General Nano’s vision to innovate advanced materials that impact 21st century defense and commercial priorities. Beginning with an initial $100,000 Air Force Small Business Innovation & Research (SBIR) grant, the US Air Force has continued to invest in General Nano’s development of Veelo™, a new class of lightweight, multifunctional materials that improve the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) of air vehicles including aircraft, rotorcraft, unmanned aerial systems, satellites, and missiles.
In January 2016, the United States Air Force expanded its investment in General Nano by awarding the company a highly competitive contract from its Commercialization Readiness Program (CRP). General Nano won the contract because it met the following requirements:
- Identified and interested customer, such as an Air Force program office or major contractor
- Defined need driven by customer
- Technology that meets the need and shows high potential for providing viable results
The purpose of the Air Force investment is to accelerate the manufacturing and technology readiness levels of General Nano’s Veelo™ products that enable multifunctional performance of next generation carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites. The project is supported by multiple aerospace customers and kicks-off in Q2 2016.