Compass Technology lands $1.99M SBIR award for radome diagnostics
What's the deal? Compass Technology Group, an Alpharetta, Georgia-based maker of radio frequency materials measurement equipment, received a $1.99 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant in 2026 to develop its Sensor-Fused Radome Diagnostic System. The woman-owned company builds hardware and software for testing electromagnetic materials across labs, manufacturing, and field settings.
Why now? The grant is a follow-on Air Force SBIR effort, advancing earlier radome-diagnostic work that includes AI-enabled inspection and wider use across Air Force components. It builds on a $1.4 million Phase II award in 2025 for related work, pointing to a continuing development path rather than a first-time bet.
What's the endgame? The money funds further development of defense-focused diagnostic technology that supports advanced communications, aerospace, and defense systems. Commercial adoption — not just development — remains the key milestone ahead.
By the numbers: The award ranks in roughly the 81st percentile by size among comparable grants, placing it among the larger deals of its type. Compass is one of several Alpharetta firms backed by SBIR; it, Movius Interactive Corporation, AnnoviantDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, and Bravo17 have drawn a combined $26.4 million in SBIR awards since 2020.
The signal: The grant reflects continued federal backing for specialized defense technology at a moment of renewed program stability. Congress reauthorized SBIR/STTR in April 2026 after a six-month lapse, restoring the programs through 2031 and adding a route to larger, milestone-based awards — though this grant sits well below that scale.
Read more: connectedalpharetta.com
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
