Sumner Lee shares how warfighter-focused innovation helped Fuse navigate SBIR ecosystem
The GovCon Unscripted podcast recently dropped a new episode featuring Fuse Integration CEO, Sumner Lee. In the episode, “From Prototype to Program of Record: What it Really Takes to Transition in GovCon,” Lee shared how the company has successfully turned warfighter-focused innovation into operational defense capability.
Host Chelsea Roberts explores how Fuse has leveraged the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) ecosystem to transition beyond prototyping and into real-world use. During the discussion, Roberts describes Fuse as a GovCon “unicorn,” highlighting the company’s uncommon path: seven SBIR awards that expanded into 12 different Phase II contracts and ultimately transitioned into five Phase III contracts with programmatic funding.
Lee credits much of Fuse’s SBIR success to relentless warfighter-focused engineering and design, paired with deep customer relationships built by the company’s veteran workforce. “By pulling in veterans who understand the real needs of the warfighter, who understand how the platforms work together, that’s where we can really connect,” he explains. “That human connection is really what is so important.”
The conversation also examines how Fuse has avoided the well-known “valley of death” that stalls so many small businesses. According to Lee, the first valley occurs when companies lack a true understanding of military operations, making it difficult to gain traction. The second, and often more challenging, valley comes during the transition from development and testing into programs of record. To get through the second valley, “You’ve got to be able to work through building advocates inside the program offices,” notes Lee.
The episode goes on to explore lessons learned from Fuse’s journey, including how warfighter engagement and operational testing create what Lee calls “unfair advantages.”
Listen to the full episode here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/40W1sMfHcRWs7s4W7CSgoV
About Fuse Integration
Fuse is a warfighter-focused, non-traditional engineering firm providing innovative communications, networking, and computing solutions for defense customers. The company’s virtualized network systems, tactical edge network, and airborne networking gateway products improve the sharing of information, video, text, and voice among warfighters throughout airborne, maritime, and ground environments. Founded in 2010, Fuse is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business with headquarters in San Diego and a corporate office in Washington, D.C. www.fuseintegration.com
