(Photo from Hyperion Technology Group website)
- Mississippi SBDC Network’s RISE Center coached the tech companies, continuing to strengthen the state’s defense innovation pipeline to federal tech scouts.
Select Mississippi tech companies were center stage at a national defense innovation premier pitch event held earlier this year, marking the third consecutive appearance for the state’s tech firms and underscoring the state’s growing role in the defense innovation ecosystem.
The Mississippi companies that presented were Camgian Corporation of Starkville, Hyperion Technology Group in Tupelo, Medina Doyle Technologies in Brandon, Mythos AI of Gulfport, V2 Forensics in Gulfport, and Vertecore Technologies in Natchez.
Hosted in partnership with the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub: Kansas and FirePoint at Wichita State University, the four-day event drew innovators, small businesses, and government tech scouts from nearly a dozen states. Participants collaborated in a series of curated pitch sessions and matchmaking meetings targeted at aligning emerging technologies with federal defense priorities.
Mississippi SBDC Network’s RISE (Resources for International Success and Expansion) Center at Ole Miss, established in 2023, coached and supported participating innovators.
“The RISE Center’s consistent presence at Encountering Innovation shows the caliber of technology coming out of Mississippi,” said Chip Templeton, director of the RISE Center. “These companies bring transformative ideas to federal agencies and the defense community.”
Phil Ethridge, director of product management for Camgian Corporation, emphasized the value of the experience and the support provided by the RISE Center.
“Encountering Innovation 2025 was a great experience for our team,” said Ethridge. “We’re especially grateful to Chip and the entire Mississippi SBDC Network coaching team for their consistent, responsive support throughout the process. We’re excited to have received multiple follow-up requests and look forward to building on that momentum with our coaches in the next phase.”
Hyperion Technology Group, an industry leader in custom electronic systems development, which includes embedded systems, signal processing, intelligent power and control systems to government and industry consumers worldwide, started in 2009 at the Renasant Center for IDEAs, and now runs out of a 48,ooo-square-foot building on Commerce Street in Tupelo.
“Over the past year, we’ve had tremendous growth, not only with our military sales but our industrial and commercial sales,” said Geoffrey Carter, president and CEO of Hyperion, who recently announced a $500,000 investment and 25 engineering and tech jobs. “The opportunities in Mississippi are endless, and we’ve been fortunate to be in a position to attract many customers from the United States and around the world to demonstrate the many opportunities Mississippi has to offer.”
Medina Doyle Technologies is perhaps the newest tech business of the six companies. After retiring from the federal government, Victor Medina, an environmental engineer, began developing advanced innovation solutions to address water and environmental challenges for military and civil sectors. Among the innovations he has developed include using grasses to slow contaminant migration in soil and graphene oxide membranes for water filtration.
Mythos AI develops advanced automation and self-driving for vessels to increase the resilience of the marine shipping industry. V2 Forensics has introduced “Archie,” an advanced self-driving vessel designed to map underwater areas near major ports and harbors. Vertecore Technologies is a medical device development company that designs and produces medical devices related to orthopedic niche markets.
Derek Stephens, assistant state director for the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Mississippi network, called the event “a major milestone for our state’s role in federal tech transfer and commercialization effort.”
Alan Badgley, founder and director of Encountering Innovation (EI), a program providing opportunities for innovators, government tech scouts, and manufacturing and technology companies to collaborate for commercialization and contracting intents via private tech transfer pitches and matchmaking sessions, praised the RISE Center for its continued contributions.
“The RISE Center’s Tech Commercialization team became a part of the Encountering Innovation ecosystem three years ago and quickly became one of the top producing states in quality small business innovators,” Badgley said, noting that EI isn’t limited to warfighter or aeronautical technologies, and that federal agencies from various branches of government are seeking innovative technology for medical, health, cyber, electronics, construction, operations, and power and energy industries. “Their attitude and capabilities are a significant asset for small business innovators, the state of Mississippi, Encountering Innovation, and especially the Department of Defense.”
The RISE Center operates as a specialized program within the SBDC network. Based at Ole Miss, the center helps Mississippi businesses grow through services in six key areas: cyber security, digital transformation, financial analysis, international trade, market research, and technology commercialization.
“Our mission is to equip Mississippi’s small businesses with the tools they need to thrive,” said Sharon Nichols, state director of the Mississippi SBDC Network. “Participating in events like Encountering Innovation opens doors for these companies to grow, scale, and make a national impact.”
Lynne Jeter
