Investors
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AuraSpark™ is building the governance layer for autonomous AI in regulated, high-stakes environments. We focus on two concrete deployments where the governance stakes are highest and the regulatory tailwinds are strongest: DoD AI governance and a rugged adaptive drone for BVLOS operations.
DoD AI governance
AuraSpark’s AURA (Autonomous Unified Reliability Architecture) portfolio delivers constraint enforcement and genuine human oversight for AI-assisted decisions in defense and autonomous systems contexts. Aligned to OMB M-25-22, M-26-04, and NDAA AI governance requirements.
- PIHCE / AURA-032: provider-independent hierarchical constraint enforcement
- FCL-AVal: fleet continual learning with adaptive validation
- I/ITSEC 2026 — 3 papers accepted
- AFWERX 26.1 SBIR — submission in progress
Rugged adaptive drone (BVLOS)
A patent-pending multirotor airframe with redundant systems, fail-operational autonomy, and an audit-ready evidence stack built for defensible BVLOS operations and FAA Part 108 compliance.
- PHM-aware autonomy: real-time health monitoring drives adaptive mission replanning
- Detect-and-avoid and dynamic re-tasking under degraded conditions
- Built on the same AURA constraint enforcement + audit infrastructure as the DoD product
- FAA Part 108 NPRM aligned safety case and CONOPS
Why now
Regulatory mandates
OMB M-25-22 and M-26-04 require auditable AI governance for federal deployments. EU AI Act high-risk provisions take effect 2025–2026. FAA Part 108 BVLOS rulemaking is underway. Compliance infrastructure is no longer optional.
DoD deployment pressure
The Department of Defense is deploying AI-enabled autonomous systems faster than governance architecture can keep pace. CDAO and JAIC mandates create immediate pull for auditable, overridable AI.
Systems maturity
Sensing, edge compute, and AI have reached deployment readiness—but only with the right governance infrastructure underneath. AuraSpark builds that infrastructure from first principles.
Traction
- 35+ pending USPTO applications across the AURA portfolio—constraint enforcement, hierarchical governance, clinical AI, fleet validation, and agentic AI containment
- arXiv submission (March 2026, under review): Beyond Symbolic Control—establishing the theoretical foundation for genuine human oversight architecture
- I/ITSEC 2026 — 3 papers accepted on AI governance for autonomous systems
- NeurIPS 2026 — workshop abstract submitted (AURA FARADAY agentic AI containment)
- AFWERX 26.1 SBIR — submission in progress (May 2026 deadline)
Founder & credentials
Led by Richard J. Mitchell (ESEP, MBA), an INCOSE-certified Expert Systems Engineering Professional with 30+ years in safety-critical and autonomous systems. I/ITSEC 2026 abstract under review. MODSIM World 2026 abstract under review.
Milestones
Near-term
- Complete Phase 0 AURA code scaffolding and FARADAY Qubes PoC
- AFWERX Phase I SBIR award ($275K target)
- First licensing or pilot engagement with DoD integrator or BVLOS operator
Longer-term
- Scale to AFWERX Phase II ($1.5M) and strategic investment ($1M–$3M seed)
- CDAO Tradewinds listing for government procurement pathway
- Expand AURA platform into adjacent regulated sectors (clinical AI, critical infrastructure, maritime)
Data room preview
We can share an investor data room under NDA, including:
- Technical architecture summaries and platform overview
- DoD AI governance architecture and deployment brief
- Rugged adaptive drone platform and BVLOS readiness brief
- Patent landscape and IP strategy
- Milestone-based execution plan and operating assumptions
- Executive summary and investor materials
Next steps
What we're looking for
Investors who value safety, deployability, and long-term defensibility in autonomy and regulated AI.