Government • CapitalResearch • IndustryDEEP TECH & PHYSICAL INNOVATION
Utah deep tech turns scientific and engineering advances into products that reshape the physical world. The state’s strengths span autonomous systems, aerospace and defense, advanced energy, critical minerals, life sciences, quantum technologies and research commercialization. This hub follows the companies, laboratories, investors and public institutions building those capabilities—and the evidence that shows which technologies are moving from promise to deployment.
FROM THE SIGNAL
DEFENSE · VENTURE CAPITAL
Lindon-based Fortem Technologies completed a $50 million Series B led by Lockheed Martin, with participation from Unusual Machines and other strategic and institutional investors. The completed round includes the $25 million initial investment Lockheed announced earlier this year.
NUCLEAR ENERGY · AI INFRASTRUCTURE
Valar Atomics has submitted a preliminary federal land application connected to Project Beehive, a proposed nuclear-powered computing and manufacturing campus near Price. The Bureau of Land Management confirmed that the initial application covers approximately 9,000 acres of public land, and Valar has secured approval to lease more than 640 acres of state trust land in Carbon County.
GEOTHERMAL · RESEARCH COMMERCIALIZATION
University of Utah teams were selected for award negotiations on two Department of Energy geothermal projects worth up to approximately $35 million. One could receive up to $25 million for an enhanced-geothermal field demonstration in Nevada, while the other could receive up to $9.7 million for drilling and subsurface work at Utah’s Cove Fort geothermal field.
PHYSICAL AI · AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
Mendon-based Autonomous Solutions Inc. received a $225 million investment from SoftBank Group. The companies also formed a separately capitalized joint venture to develop and commercialize autonomous construction equipment for large infrastructure projects; the amount invested in the joint venture was not disclosed.
SPACE · RESEARCH COMMERCIALIZATION
Advanced Space selected Utah State University’s Space Dynamics Laboratory to provide two flight-qualified Iris Radios and related communications, navigation and timekeeping technology for NASA’s CAPSTONE 02 mission. Launch is targeted for late 2027.
DEFENSE · AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS
Bluffdale-based Vector announced that it was selected as a top-performing competitor in the federal Drone Dominance Program and is scheduled to receive orders for up to 5,000 unmanned systems. The company also received orders for its high-voltage electronic safe-and-arm device and says an initial Phase II order is already in hand.
LIFE SCIENCES · REGULATORY
Salt Lake City-based PolarityBio announced that the FDA accepted its Biologics License Application for SkinTE and granted Priority Review, setting a March 16, 2027 target action date. The filing is supported by a 120-patient Phase III trial that the company says met its primary endpoint of complete wound closure within 12 weeks.
CRITICAL MINERALS · RURAL ECONOMY
On September 9, USDA awarded a $25 million loan guarantee supporting Milford Mining’s copper mining and processing operation in Beaver County. USDA expects the investment to generate approximately 100 jobs. The financing comes through its Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program in partnership with Magnolia Bank.
AEROSPACE · DEFENSE
Northrop Grumman opened East Gate 3 in Layton to expand manufacturing capacity for the B-21 Raider. The broader East Gate campus includes approximately 845,000 square feet and has capacity for 1,500 employees by 2032. The opening came alongside expansion plans from KIHOMAC, Moog and GMRE that together project 316 new high-paying jobs and approximately $52 million in capital investment.
NEUROTECH · COMMERCIALIZATION
A September 10 profile detailed the bidirectional prosthetic system being developed by BIOS and University of Utah researchers. The system uses implanted interfaces and AI-assisted signal interpretation to let users control a prosthetic limb and receive sensory feedback. BIOS estimates it is approximately 18 to 24 months from potential availability for adult patients, with regulatory approval and reimbursement still ahead.
ADVANCED MATERIALS · WATER
The Nucleus Fund announced an investment in Provo-based Terraphene, which is developing hemp-based alternatives to wood, plastic, concrete and other materials. The company reports a supply agreement valued at approximately $900 million for molded, fastener-free pallets.
AEROSPACE · DEFENSE
Salt Lake City-based CycloKinetics selected Venus Aerospace to test CycloRP, its higher-density drop-in replacement for conventional RP-1 and RP-2 rocket fuels. Initial hot-fire testing successfully demonstrated combustion in a rotating-detonation rocket engine.
WHAT THE UTAH SIGNAL TRACKS