AUSTIN, Texas — With its mission of bringing research discoveries to the marketplace, Discovery to Impact at The University of Texas at Austin has invested $150,000 through the UT Seed Fund in Locus Lock, a UT-affiliated startup developing cutting-edge positioning solutions for mobility in the commercial and defense sectors. The investment will help Locus Lock pilot its Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology with commercial customers.
Locus Lock represents the first UT Seed Fund investment in computer science, with its software-defined GNSS technology that is designed to provide secure and precise location data for the vehicle, defense, aerospace and high-tech industries. The $10 million UT Seed Fund investment portfolio is also composed of a mix of ground-breaking University-based discoveries in physical sciences and life sciences, including innovations in potassium-ion batteries, robotics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
“We are pleased to partner with Locus Lock as they accelerate the development of their low-cost, high-performance navigation solution, with possibilities across multiple industries where precise signaling in challenging environments is key,” said Mark Arnold, associate vice president of Discovery to Impact and managing director of the UT Seed Fund. “Under Discovery to Impact, UT Austin is becoming among the top universities in the nation for commercializing new inventions and emerging technologies. We look forward to continuing to connect UT innovators to the right resources to get their ideas out of the lab and into the world to have lasting impact.”
Locus Lock CEO Hailey Nichols, who earned an M.S. in aerospace engineering from UT, is commercializing the software-defined GNSS receiver, which was developed at UT’s Radionavigation Lab under the direction of Todd Humphreys, a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics.
“Locus Lock delivers high-performance GNSS solutions designed to perform in the most complex and challenging environments, including GPS-contested and denied areas,” Nichols said. “UT Austin’s continued support and investment through Discovery to Impact will enable us to scale and meet the growing demand for cost-effective, precise and reliable navigation solutions.”
For more information about Locus Lock, visit locuslock.com. For more information about Discovery to Impact, visit discoveries.utexas.edu.
