Defender LLC is a team of innovators, engineers, and entrepreneurs focused on augmenting the spatial intelligence of first responders and remote operators. The company develops live 360-degree imaging systems that recreate a scene for remote personnel, helping them maintain awareness when hostile conditions or other hazards make direct access difficult.
Bounce ImagingBorn from work at the Harvard Innovation Laboratory and MIT after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Bounce Imaging builds rugged, low-cost 360-degree camera and sensor systems that let first responders and military teams see into dangerous or confined spaces before entering. Its throwable cameras capture stabilized video and audio in every direction at once, giving multiple users a shared view and the ability to review what happened behind them. The company says its systems are fielded by more than 800 public-safety and defense agencies worldwide, including U.S. SOCOM and federal law-enforcement teams.BUFFALO, NY
Zistos CorporationBorn in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Zistos Corporation is a purpose-driven manufacturer founded by engineers Bob Levine and John Kennedy to help people see into dangerous spaces before entering them. From its Holbrook, New York facility, the company designs and assembles visual inspection systems for organizations whose work can put personnel at risk, with deployments in more than 25 countries. That original focus on protecting first responders still defines Zistos after more than two decades.HOLBROOK, NY
Circle OpticsCircle Optics grew from founder Zakariya Niazi’s college idea into a Rochester imaging company known for solving the stitching problem in panoramic cameras. Its patented optical architecture aligns fields of view before images are created, producing real-time 360-degree imagery for organizations that need dependable visual awareness, including defense and aerospace users. The team brings more than 200 collective patents to its work.ROCHESTER, NY
InnvotronicsSince 2016, Innvotronics has focused on giving law-enforcement tactical teams a safer way to assess high-risk situations. The company designs and manufactures throwable robots, including its stair-climbing MK-8, for remote inspection during operations where sending people in first could increase the danger.EAST SETAUKET, NY