As data center energy demands surge, Texas taps DC firm's micronuclear tech
Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at dc@technical.ly.
It's been a busy start to the year in the DMV, especially considering the chaos coming down from the federal government. Through it all, the private sector stayed active.
Local firms announced new leadership, headquarters changes and various projects over the last few months. Some of the news has national and international dimensions well beyond the DC region. For instance, Last Energy, a company building micronuclear technology to boost clean energy supplies, is tackling the energy demand from data centers by rolling out 30 microreactors in Haskell County, Texas. Also, College Park-based IonQ acquired one company in Switzerland and partnered with another in South Korea.
Keep reading to get the details on those and more regional power moves.
DC nuclear energy firm lands Texas data center project
Last Energy's deal comes after the firm raised a $40 million Series B in August. The company also has commercial agreements to deploy 80 of its microreactors across Europe, with half of its tech supporting data centers.,
'Texas is the energy capital of America, and we are working to be [number one] in advanced nuclear power,' said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in a press release. 'Last Energy's microreactor project in Haskell County will help fulfill the state's growing data center demand. Texas must become a national leader in advanced nuclear energy. By working together with industry leaders like Last Energy, we will usher in a nuclear power renaissance in the United States.'
Texas isn't the only state struggling with the energy demands from data centers. In Virginia, home to 'Data Center Alley,' developers are finding ways to cool data centers more efficiently as energy consumption prices increase for consumers.
Last Energy has built two prototypes with help from local manufacturers in Texas. It expects its first load of fuel in September 2026. The company is also looking to expand in Utah, per the press release.
'Texas is America's undisputed energy leader, but skyrocketing population growth and data center development is forcing policymakers, customers and energy providers to embrace new technologies,' said Bret Kugelmass, founder and CEO of Last Energy. 'Nuclear power is the most effective way to meet Texas' demand, but our solution — plug-and-play microreactors, designed for scalability and siting flexibility — is the best way to meet it quickly.'
IonQ acquires global company and taps new leader
The publicly-traded quantum computing company acquired another quantum company in Switzerland.
Payment for control of ID Quantique will be issued in common stock, per a press release. IonQ will absorb ID Quantique's team and products once the deal closes. The transaction will bring IonQ's number of patents to nearly 900.
The University of Maryland spinout also entered a strategic partnership with South Korean telecommunications provider SK Telecom, which deployed the largest quantum network in South Korea.
'This strategic transaction and the expertise of ID Quantique furthers IonQ's role as a global leader in next generation secure communications,' said Peter Chapman, IonQ's executive chair. 'And once finalized, we expect that our intended strategic partnership with SK Telecom, one of the most powerful technology companies in Asia, will significantly enhance the distribution of IonQ quantum technology, leading to many commercial and technical opportunities.'
Besides these international moves, IonQ also made a significant internal one by appointing Niccolo de Masi as its new president and CEO. De Masi most recently led the dMY Squared Technology Group, whose special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) dMY Technology Group III took IonQ public through a SPAC merger in 2021. The executive served on the company's board since that year, too.
De Masi also held C-suite positions at publicly traded companies like Monstermob Group in the United Kingdom, Resideo Technologies in Scottsdale and Glu Mobile in San Francisco.
'I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead IonQ during this pivotal moment for quantum computing,' said de Masi in a press release. 'As a longtime evangelist of the quantum industry, I believe wholeheartedly in IonQ's mission and technology.'
Local chamber of commerce hires president
Lifelong DC resident Chinyere Hubbard began her tenure in February as president of the DC Chamber of Commerce, per an emailed press release.
Hubbard previously worked close to local economic development entities, most recently as senior vice president at Events DC. She also served as the Greater Washington Partnership's chief marketing and strategic communications officer.
She succeeds Angela Franco, who left the position in August.
'I am honored and excited to lead the DC Chamber of Commerce at this pivotal time,' Hubbard said in a press release. 'We will ensure a thriving business environment for all by working diligently and purposefully to forge relationships between our DC business community, the government and the international community.'
More leadership moves:
IT contractor BigBear.ai moved its headquarters to McLean from Columbia, Maryland, the Washington Business Journal (WBJ) reported.
Google is opening a retail store in Georgetown. It's one of the search giant's only brick-and-mortar stores, WTOP reported.
Ashburn-based SIM card startup RiPSIM Technologies hired Brenda Boehm to be its CEO. She's worked at Fortune 100 companies like Dell and Cisco, plus startups including Starent Networks and Tango Networks.
Bethesda's embattled iLearningEngines laid off all of its employees in February, according to the WBJ. This development comes after the company faced accusations of falsifying revenue and filed for bankruptcy.
Data and cyber contractor Core4ce tapped Doug Small, a retired commander of the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, to join its board of advisors.
The Maryland Bankers Association hired Tisha Edwards to be its next president and CEO. Edwards will leave her current post in Gov. Wes Moore's cabinet in April, Maryland Matters reported.
Consulting firms Crowell Global Advisors and Optima Strategies formed a 'strategic alliance' to improve their services for businesses navigating regulations and economies in Southeast Asia.
McLean government consulting firm Deep Water Point and Associates CEO Brooke Smith was appointed to the Professional Services Council's board of directors. The organization is a trade association for government contractors.
FiscalNote is divesting two of its portfolio companies, Oxford Analytica and Dragonfly Intelligence, to focus more on its policy products, per the WBJ.
Georgetown Business Improvement District appointed Deborah Kerson Bilek as its new CEO.
World Wide Technology Public Sector, a DC branch of the AI company, hired Danny Burns as chief technology advisor for its work with intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Technical.ly
Commerce Department nixes ‘safety' in NIST AI institute rebrand
President Trump's cabinet continues to overhaul federal programs and initiatives, with some recent AI-related moves hitting the Department of Commerce. Secretary Howard Lutnick announced that the AI Safety Institute will now be called the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI). In addition to removing 'safety' from the title of the agency, which was created under the Biden administration in 2023 to set AI standards and guidance, CAISI will pivot to focus more on national security risks and global competitiveness. 'For far too long, censorship and regulations have been used under the guise of national security. Innovators will no longer be limited by these standards,' Lutnick said in a press release. 'CAISI will evaluate and enhance U.S. innovation of these rapidly developing commercial AI systems while ensuring they remain secure to our national security standards.' The Commerce Department did not respond to request for comment, including to provide examples of 'censorship.' CAISI also houses a consortium, established in 2024, of more than 200 companies and organizations that was originally created to develop science-based safety standards for AI operation and design. The group, known as the US AI Safety Institute Consortium, includes several universities and startups from throughout the Mid-Atlantic. That group remains in operation following this announcement, but there are suspicions that it will shut down, according to a person with knowledge about the consortium. CAISI and the consortium's formation under the previous administration was spurred by an executive order by former President Joe Biden, which the Trump administration revoked during his early days in office. Priorities for this newly-renamed government body include plans to ink voluntary agreements with AI developers and companies that can pinpoint risks to national security. That strategy isn't entirely new. Under the Biden administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology — the regulatory agency, housed under the Commerce Department, that hosts CAISI — signed memoranda of understanding to undergo AI safety research with US-based AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic. In these new evaluations, CAISI will prioritize looking at use cases in cybersecurity and chemical weapons, per the release. CAISI leadership will also collaborate with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and intelligence agencies to 'conduct evaluations and assessments.' This move comes as states are grappling with how to regulate AI. Nearby Virginia did not follow through with passing blanket legislation regulating the technology, and House Republicans are torn over a federal budget provision that would ban states from regulating AI for a decade.
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Technical.ly
‘Be yourself:' VCs want founders to tell authentic and urgent stories
There's no such thing as a perfect pitch — but there is such a thing as a forgettable one. At the 2025 Builders Conference, three venture capitalists with varied investment backgrounds joined a refreshingly unstructured conversation about what makes a founder's story resonate. Moderated by Ken Malone of Baltimore-based Early Charm, the 'VC Roundtables: Telling Your Story to Investors' panel featured Ryan Bednar of Orange Collective, Rob Brown of MVP Capital and Anthony George of Ben Franklin Technology Partners (BFTP). Despite their varied areas of expertise and interest, the three Philly-based investors largely agreed that founders need to lean into their own unique qualities when telling their stories to potential investors. Bednar, a founder and Y Combinator alum whose firm specializes in other graduates of the prestigious accelerator, framed it as giving the funder a sense of being in on something exciting. 'I think the best pitches,' Bednar said, 'are where you're kind of letting the investor in on a secret.' That secret isn't always about the product. In fact, as much as the panelists all believed in the value of a founder's passion, one of them cautioned against being too focused on those products or solutions, instead of the problem that birthed those products. 'Your solution should always be changing, your product should always be changing,' said George. 'But if you're obsessed with the problem, you're going to stick with it even when things get difficult.' Relationships over transactions, no matter the personality While the Elon Musks and Travis Kalanicks of the world might suggest that the most outgoing entrepreneurs are the most successful, several panelists said that it's entirely possible to build the right connection with a VC without that kind of personality. 'I think you can totally build relationships with VCs and investors as an introvert,' said Bednar, adding that he found success in online networking and email outreach when he was a founder. Brown said that the depth of a relationship matters more than how much a founder puts themself out there. 'You don't necessarily have to be a conference junkie,' he said. 'You can find one-on-one ways to interact. It also goes back to the idea of time: I find that I have introverted tendencies myself, and I find that over time, the more time you spend with someone, the more extroverted you become with that specific individual.' That said, the panelists also believed in the worth of a pitch that can hook someone in on the first interaction. 'The last half-a-dozen deals we've done, almost all of those were where the pitch didn't happen over Zoom or on Powerpoint,' Brown explained. 'The pitch happened in person, talking to them, meeting them for the first time. That was the real pitch.' For bootstrapping founders — especially those building in hard tech or from cities outside the usual VC hotspots — the advice was practical. Conserve cash. Do your research. Find the right kind of capital for your business model. And don't assume geography is a limitation. 'You can also build relationships out in Silicon Valley,' Bednar said. 'I don't think you should limit yourself to a particular geographic area.' What (not) to do Building relationships that lead to investment may not be a perfect science, but the investors still had actionable tips for what every founder can do (and should avoid) when seeking venture capital. While entrepreneurs often conflate story with pitch, panelists drew a line between the two. The story is personal, emotional and evolving. A pitch is structured, strategic and designed to answer key questions like who you are, what you're doing and why. But one needn't be fully separate from the other, and the panelists also shared tactical advice for making that story stick. For instance, George of BFTP suggested founders create a 90-second pitch video to share with funders, especially if they can't meet a VC firm's principal immediately and need to give something representative to that firm's associate or analyst. That video could incorporate the story, which must be unique to the founder's particular journey. Either way, 'don't copy it out of a book,' he warned. Asked about the 'wrong' way to build investor relationships, panelists agreed: pushiness and rigidity are quick turnoffs. A founder who can't pivot raises red flags. The speakers also advised against flooding pitch meetings with more than one team member and pitching ideas that don't fit an investor's stated interests. 'We are a bit generalist,' he said. 'But when I say, like, 'Listen, we don't do life sciences' … they typically get the message.' George also said that founders too often skip a critical piece of their story: not just why they're building a company, but why now. Context matters, he said, because timing — from technological readiness to macroeconomic tailwinds — can make or break an investment. Through all of these themes and the many audience questions that guided the discussion, the investors revolved around one primary consideration: authenticity. 'This sounds trite, but be yourself,' Brown said. 'If the end result of this is … potentially a 10-year-long relationship, you can't fake it for 10 years.'
Technical.ly
2 days ago
- Technical.ly
Virginia Tech hones in on advanced computing with new institute
Power Moves is a recurring series where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us at dc@ Higher education and government contracting continue to prove their dominance in the DMV through new programs, acquisitions and hires. Following its opening of a new $1 billion campus in Alexandria, Virginia Tech is launching a new advanced computing program in the region. On the private side, government IT contractor Tyto Athene acquired its fourth company in less than a year and a half. On the other side of the district, a startup founder is working with the State of Maryland to improve police training. Keep reading to get the details on those and more regional power moves. Virginia Tech to open new advanced computing institute The university's new academic and research program will be housed at its recently opened campus in Alexandria. Dubbed the Institute for Advanced Computing, the center will cater to graduate students working in artificial intelligence, machine learning and quantum computing. Computer science professor Kirk Cameron has been named the institute's interim director. 'As Virginia's land-grant research university, we are connecting the world's best talent and partners to the commonwealth and bridging the gaps between academia, industry, and government in the greater DC area,' Virginia Tech President Tim Sands said in a press release. Virginia Tech opened this new location in Alexandria this February. The university houses its colleges of business and engineering at the new campus while its main one remains in Blacksburg. Tyto Athene lands another acquisition After the Reston government contractor acquired three companies in 2024, Tyto Athene purchased yet another tech firm to boost its capabilities and expand its customer base. Tyto Athene acquired stackArmor, a Tysons-based cloud and cyber compliance company providing services to federal agencies. 'By combining the capabilities of Tyto and stackArmor, we're able to deliver secure and cost-efficient digital infrastructure that accelerates the mission of our government and defense customers through automation,' said Gaurav Pal, principal of stackArmor. StackArmor is also a part of the US AI Safety Institute Consortium out of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which is still in operation even though President Donald Trump rescinded former President Joe Biden's AI executive order. Startup founder to serve on Maryland police committee Colin Fraser, founder of the cannabis delivery app Upling and a DC Startup and Tech Week organizer, will serve on the Maryland Police Training and Standards Committee after being appointed by Gov. Wes Moore. A returning citizen, Fraser will focus on training for police that reduces harm, he wrote on LinkedIn. 'As someone who has experienced both sides of the criminal justice system, I bring a unique perspective to police training and standards that I believe is essential for building trust and creating positive change,' Fraser wrote. More leadership moves Investment firm and incubator Red Cell Partners tapped John C. Aquilino, a retired admiral, to be an advisor for its national security vertical. Carr Properties landed approval to redevelop an office building on Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon into residential housing. Rhizome, which developed AI tools to identify vulnerabilities in energy grids caused by weather, is moving to San Francisco from DC, the Washington Business Journal reported. The startup recently raised a $6.5 million seed round. NobleReach, an organization aiming to bridge the public and private sectors to boost technological prowess in the US, appointed two members to its board: Ralph Semmel, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory's director; and Jill Tiefenthaler, CEO at the National Geographic Society. Falls Church government contractor GDIT launched an AI tool that detects fraudulent payments, including healthcare claims and benefits. Blink Charging in Bowie is laying off 20% of its workforce as its revenue continues to drop, as additionally reported by the Washington Business Journal. The electric vehicle charging manufacturer relocated from Miami in 2024. IT services company Navteca in Chevy Chase hired Hector Collazo as its new president. ShorePoint, a cybersecurity company based in Herndon, appointed Kevin Cox as its new executive director of cyber operations modernization. Cvent, a hospitality and event technology platform, acquired the spatial event design technology Prismm. Core4ce, a data-focused IT company in Arlington, tapped Rick Hubbard to be the firm's chief data scientist. Global satellite communications company Iridium hired Rohit Braggs as its vice president of position, navigation and timing. Maryland's venture arm TEDCO tapped six new executive officers for its board of directors, including people hailing from the higher education sector and private companies. AI adoption firm Meibel is opening a 3,000-square-foot office in Tysons, also reported by the Washington Business Journal. Local business award grantor Moxie announced its 2025 finalists, including investment firms like K Street Capital and several government contractors.
