Casimir Inc Selected for the U.S. SpaceForce’s SpaceWERX STTR Phase I Award to Advance Persistent Solid-State Power Technology

The Air Force Research Laboratory and SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division within AFWERX, have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.

The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now in August 2026 Casimir will continue its journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.

“This Phase I award is an important step in exploring how Casimir’s solid-state power technology could support national security missions where persistent, reliable power is essential. As a producer of quantum energy technology this project will allow the Casimir team to refine the concept for a fully independent generator while working with potential customers to better understand the requirements of systems operating in austere and difficult-to-service environments.”

Dr. Harold “Sonny” White, Founder and CEO of Casimir

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, the Department of War, or the U.S. government.

About Casimir

Casimir is the world’s first quantum vacuum energy company, developing semiconductor chips designed to generate persistent power using the physics of the quantum vacuum, no batteries, cords, or charging required. Founded by Dr. Harold “Sonny” White, a former NASA advanced propulsion researcher, the company has engineered customized Casimir cavity structures into semiconductor hardware, technology built on nearly a century of quantum physics and validated by DARPA-funded nanofabrication and peer-reviewed research.

Headquartered in Houston, Texas, and proudly built in America.

For more information, visit www.casimir.inc.

About SpaceWERX

SpaceWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Space Force and a division of AFWERX, partners with startups, small businesses and nontraditional vendors to accelerate commercial space technologies for Guardians. Headquartered in Los Angeles, SpaceWERX connects industry innovation with defense needs to deliver capabilities faster.

In partnership with Space Systems Command’s Commercial Space Office, SpaceWERX bridges innovation and acquisition to accelerate capability adoption. In fiscal year 2025, SpaceWERX awarded more than 300 contracts totaling $510 million.

For more information, visit spacewerx.us.

About AFRL

The Air Force Research Laboratory is the Department of the Air Force’s primary scientific research and development center and one of six centers within Air Force Materiel Command. AFRL leads the discovery, development and delivery of technologies for air, space and the multidomain.

With a workforce spanning seven mission areas at more than 40 locations worldwide, AFRL conducts research ranging from basic science to advanced technology development.

For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

Company Press Contact

Luca Sesti
Founder and Principal, LCS Communications
Luca.Sesti@lcscomms.co