Strider Secures $85M Air Force Deal to Screen SBIR Applicants
Washington – October 06, 2026 -- Strider Technologies has secured a contract worth up to $85 million from the Department of the Air Force, formalizing a five-year collaboration with the service's Office of Commercial and Economic Analysis (OCEA) to screen for nation-state risk in defense innovation programs.
Contract formalizes existing screening work on federal small-business funding programs
The agreement builds on Strider's prior work with OCEA and covers continued screening of applicants to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. These programs direct federal R&D funding to small U.S. businesses developing technologies with both defense and commercial applications, making them a target for adversarial nation-states seeking sensitive technology, intellectual property, and talent through undisclosed foreign ties, ownership, or financing.