Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Ohio names 10 companies for fall accelerator
The 10-week program pairs emerging dual-use companies with defense buyers, mentors and investors, running from mid-September through mid-November and closing with a Demo Day. At least three of the 10 selected companies are Ohio-based, two with roots at the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Ten companies will spend the fall learning how to sell emerging technologies into the defense market through the 2026 Ansible Accelerator, a program of the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Ohio, powered by Fuse Ventures.
The cohort includes Aeglos, Astrabeam, General Orbit, Hyperios Technologies, Intalus, Lighthouse Avionics, Merlin TPS, Radenso Labs, Raider Technologies and Ravee Optics.
By the numbers
- 10 companies selected
- 10-week program
- Mid-September through mid-November 2026
- 8 Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs nationwide
- 1 Demo Day closing out the program
What participants get
Over the 10 weeks, companies receive specialized programming, mentorship and access to industry, academic and government stakeholders. The curriculum centers on the priorities of the Department of War, the secondary title the Defense Department has used since a 2025 executive order, and on the requirements for moving commercial technology into defense use.
"Commercial companies with emerging dual-use technologies are often looking for the knowledge and relationships they need to enter and grow within the defense ecosystem," said Ian Haynes, managing director of OnRamp Hub: Ohio. "Our role is to help these companies build those connections, better understand defense and national security needs, and position their technologies to be mission ready."
At least three of the selected companies are based in Ohio. Raider Technologies, founded in Oakwood in 2022, develops low-cost radar for counter-drone and airspace surveillance and traces its technology to the Air Force Research Laboratory. Lighthouse Avionics, of Hilliard, builds an optical airspace monitoring system aimed at beyond-visual-line-of-sight drone operations and base defense. Ravee Optics, based in Dayton, closed a $6 million seed round in July led by BIG Capital with participation from JobsOhio Ventures and CincyTech, and is developing compact laser terminals for satellite-to-satellite data transfer.
Who runs it
OnRamp Hub: Ohio is one of eight Defense Innovation OnRamp Hubs nationwide that embodies the Department of War Innovation Unit's (DIU) "front door" to the private sector and academia. OnRamp Hubs create a more accessible and streamlined path for funders, founders, and talent to engage with the Department of War.
Fuse Ventures runs the accelerator programming, drawing on founders, investors and operators who have scaled technology companies.
"Fuse is designed to help startups navigate the challenges of true scale," said Darian Harris, founder and CEO of Fuse Ventures. "Ohio gives us the proximity to mission partners at scale to accelerate transition. The distance between a promising capability and a fielded one is usually measured in years. Our job is to close that distance, and Fuse is built to do exactly that."
The program closes with a Demo Day, where the cohort will present to industry, academic and government stakeholders.
