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May 29, 2025 | Tom Ballard

First-ever MTL Defense Accelerator launches next week in Montgomery, AL

Five high-potential start-ups have been selected to participate in the first cohort of this cutting-edge accelerator.

With national security on the agenda for Friday’s second and final day of the Tennessee Valley Corridor’s National Summit in Oak Ridge, we thought this would be a timely article.

Montgomery TechLab has announced the inaugural cohort of the MTL Defense Accelerator, a transformative initiative led in partnership with the Montgomery, AL Area Chamber of Commerce and Treble One to position Alabama’s state capital as a regional hub for defense innovation and emerging technologies.

After a competitive application and selection process, five high-potential start-ups have been selected to participate in the first cohort of this cutting-edge accelerator. The companies selected represent a range of next-generation capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, software, and wearable defense tech:

  • Analytical AI – Advanced threat detection and data intelligence;
  • Lineaj – Secure digital identity and supply chain traceability;
  • XO Armor – Smart protective gear for defense and industrial use;
  • Generational Systems – AI-powered mission planning tools; and
  • GuidePad – Tactical navigation and augmented situational awareness.

These companies will participate in an eight-week, defense-focused accelerator program to help early stage ventures scale their products in the defense and commercial markets. The MTL Defense Accelerator draws on Montgomery’s strategic assets—including proximity to Maxwell-Gunter Air Force Base, the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Business Enterprise Systems, and a growing innovation ecosystem—to drive national security solutions forward.

“The companies selected for our first defense accelerator cohort demonstrate incredible promise to strengthen our nation’s defense posture while growing Alabama’s innovation economy,” said Charisse Stokes, Executive Director of TechMGM and Partner Liaison for Montgomery TechLab. “We’re honored to work with them as they engage directly with Department of Defense stakeholders and develop scalable, dual-use technologies.”

The program officially kicks off on June 5.



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