StarNav
StarNav develops FPGA-based software-defined radio receivers that convert ambient radio signals (GNSS, cellular, satellite, LEO PNT) into positioning, navigation, and timing information for government and commercial customers facing GPS denial.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersRiverside, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What StarNav does
StarNav is a Riverside, California-based private LLC founded in early 2020 that develops hardware and software to convert ambient radio signals into positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) information for government and commercial customers operating in GPS-denied or GPS-compromised environments. The company's core technology is a software-defined radio receiver built on field-programmable gate array (FPGA) hardware, branded as SNDR-X, which ingests and independently processes multiple ambient signal types — GNSS L1/L5, Galileo E5a, cellular, TV broadcast, Globalstar, Iridium, Orbcomm, and emerging LEO PNT services such as Xona Space Systems' PULSAR — to extract PNT data with patent-pending single-product fusion. The portfolio includes the SNDR-X multi-frequency multi-source receiver, a standalone GPS L5-only receiver (validated on a USAF T-38C Talon at Edwards AFB under Project 'Have 5tarboy'), and a Xona PULSAR LEO PNT receiver that can be purchased standalone or added to other StarNav receivers.
StarNav's revenue model is dual. The primary cash inflow is non-dilutive U.S. federal R&D funding via competitive SBIR/STTR contracts: NSF ($256K Phase I, 2021), Air Force AFWERX ($750K Phase II, 2022), Army (~$1.1M Phase II, 2022), and undisclosed Phase I awards from Army, Air Force, and Navy — cumulatively approaching $4M by Q1 2023. The secondary stream is quote-based hardware sales (SNDR-X, GPS L5 receiver, Xona PULSAR receiver) and consulting services to government and commercial customers via a Contact form on starnav.io, supported by a strategic OEM/co-development partnership with Xona Space Systems for joint distribution of PULSAR-equipped receivers. Go-to-market relies on enterprise field sales, heavy industry-conference presence (ION GNSS+, IGNSS, MOVE America, Telecom Council, SBIR Talks), and DoD procurement channels; the company is founder-led by CEO Dr. Joshua Morales (Ph.D., UC Irvine, 25+ PNT publications, ex-Aerospace Corporation), CTO Christian Ardito (M.S., UC Irvine, ex-SPAWAR), and Executive Vice President Austin Jack.
StarNav firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- StarNav
- Legal name
- StarNav LLC
- Website
- https://starnav.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- StarNav develops FPGA-based software-defined radio receivers that convert ambient radio signals (GNSS, cellular, satellite, LEO PNT) into positioning, navigation, and timing information for government and commercial customers facing GPS denial.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
StarNav industry classification
Industry- Product category
- GNSS/PNT Receivers
- NAICS
- Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Computer Terminal and Other Computer Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing (334118)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Computer Peripheral Equipment, Nec (3577)
- akta.pro primary industry
- GNSS/GPS Navigation & Augmentation Systems (IMABAFAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- C4ISR Systems & Tactical Data Links (IMABAGAE)
Keywords
Where StarNav is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Riverside
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
StarNav business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Hardware Sales (PNT Receivers): Sale of hardware receiver products including SNDR-X multi-frequency multi-source receiver, standalone GPS L5 receiver, and Xona PULSAR receivers (standalone or as add-on modules) to government and commercial customers. Pricing is quote-based via Contact form.
- Government R&D Contract Revenue: Revenue from SBIR/STTR Phase I and Phase II contracts awarded by U.S. Department of Defense agencies (Army SBIR 20.2, Air Force AFWERX STTR 20.3, Navy SBIR, Army Phase II SBIR) for GPS-denied PNT technology development. Contract values disclosed include $256K NSF SBIR, $750K Air Force Phase II AFWERX, and ~$1.1M Army Phase II SBIR.
- Consulting Services: Consulting services for PNT-related topics, available via the website's Contact form under the 'Consulting' topic selection.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Quote-based pricing for all hardware and consulting |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
StarNav product offering
Product offeringCore offering
StarNav develops and sells hardware and software positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) receivers built on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) platform. Its flagship SNDR-X receiver integrates modern GNSS signals (GPS L5, Galileo E5a) with ambient radio signals of opportunity (cellular, TV broadcast, Globalstar, Iridium, Orbcomm, and Xona PULSAR) to deliver resilient PNT information for autonomous vehicles, UAVs, surface vessels, critical infrastructure, and military systems operating in GPS-challenged or GPS-denied environments. Companion standalone products include a GPS L5-only receiver and a Xona PULSAR LEO-PNT receiver module.
Product overview
StarNav offers a platform-plus-modules portfolio of positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) receivers built around its core SNDR-X multi-frequency multi-source receiver, which integrates modern GNSS signals with ambient radio signals of opportunity (cellular, TV broadcast, Globalstar, Iridium, Orbcomm, and Xona Pulsar) on a field-programmable gate array platform. Layered on top of the SNDR-X platform are dedicated sub-products: a standalone Xona Pulsar Receiver that can also be added to any StarNav receiver, and a GPS L5-only Receiver for safety-of-life and military applications. The hardware/software suite converts ambient radio signals into PNT information to provide GPS-independent navigation for self-driving vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, surface vessels, and orbital determination use cases.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SNDR-X: Multi-frequency, multi-source positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) receiver that integrates modern GNSS signals with ambient radio signals; field-programmable gate array-based platform that can be upgraded with the latest signal types.
- StarNav GPS L5 Receiver
- Xona Pulsar Receiver
Products and services
- SNDR-X Multi-Frequency Multi-Source PNT Receiver Multi-frequency, multi-source receiver that integrates modern GNSS signals (GPS L5, Galileo E5a) with ambient radio signals of opportunity such as cellular, TV broadcast, Globalstar, Iridium, and Orbcomm. Built on a field-programmable gate array platform that allows the receiver to be upgraded with new signal types after purchase. Designed for autonomous vehicles, UAVs, surface vessels, and critical infrastructure systems requiring resilient PNT in GPS-challenged or denied environments.
- StarNav GPS L5 Receiver GPS L5-only receiver that operates without requiring GPS L1 or L2, designed to enhance PNT system reliability for safety-of-life and military applications. Adds L5 capabilities independently of L1/L2 signals to provide PNT redundancy against jamming and spoofing.
- Xona PULSAR Receiver Standalone Xona PULSAR low Earth orbit-based navigation receiver leveraging new LEO RF signals to provide geometric and frequency diversity for additional coverage and jamming protection. Can also be added as a capability/module to any StarNav receiver to enhance positioning and timing accuracy, availability, and security.
- PNT Consulting Services Consulting services covering positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) topics, available to government and commercial clients via StarNav's website Contact form.
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 cm instantaneous positioning precision from cold start using Xona PULSAR signals
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use StarNav
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
StarNav technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature7 records
StarNav partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered supporting (test & measurement), core partner (key government test partner), minor / industry visibility, minor / channel introduction partner, minor / event presence, core partner (university collaborator), flagship / core partnership and major customer / development partner.
- Safran (GSG-8 GNSS RF Simulator)supporting (test & measurement)Joint demonstration at ION GNSS+ 2023: StarNav produced PULSAR-only positioning results by processing simulated Xona PULSAR signals output by a Safran GSG-8 GNSS radio frequency simulator. Safran is referenced as an ecosystem partner alongside Xona and StarNav.
- U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (Edwards Air Force Base)core partner (key government test partner)Partnership to flight-test StarNav's L5 GPS and Galileo E5a receiver through existing aircraft hardware on a T-38C Talon jet (Project 'Have 5tarboy'). The 412th Test Wing Guidance and Navigation Technical Adequacy Office participated, and the system produced accurate navigation information using the L5 GPS signal for Air Force aircraft. Founder Joshua Morales and CTO Christian Ardito participated in the two-week testing exercise.
- IGNSS Associationminor / industry visibilityNot-for-profit international association headquartered in Sydney, Australia. CEO Dr. Joshua Morales accepted an invitation to participate as a panelist at IGNSS 2022 to discuss the future of utilizing LEO satellite signals for PNT. The conference examined alternatives to GNSS including LEO PNT, signal authentication, and risks of jamming/spoofing/cybersecurity.
- Telecom Council (at SRI International)minor / channel introduction partnerStarNav's Director of Emerging Markets, Austin Jack, presented at SRI International's Silicon Valley HQ for the Telecom Council's November Innovation Review Meeting, pitching StarNav's growth vision into the telecommunications industry. The Telecom Council introduces curated startups to global telcos and telecom vendors for partnering, investment, and exploration of new market opportunities.
- MOVE America (conference organizer)minor / event presenceStarNav featured at the bi-annual MOVE America conference in Austin, Texas, where major technology companies discussed solutions for drone delivery services and GPS jamming. MOVE America also hosts events in London, UK where the company may participate in 2023.
- Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL) at Iowa Institute of Technologycore partner (university collaborator)University collaboration under the U.S. Air Force AFWERX Phase II contract. OPL is hardening StarNav's alternative positioning system for aircraft use and conducting preliminary flight testing on an OPL-owned L-29 jet, with subsequent flight tests planned at Edwards Air Force Base.
- Xona Space Systemsflagship / core partnershipStrategic partnership announced November 2021 to develop user equipment capable of receiving Xona's PULSAR™ LEO PNT service. StarNav is integrating Xona's PULSAR service alongside its suite of signal-of-opportunity receivers to add PNT information redundancy. PULSAR is described as offering more than 10x better accuracy and 100x better interference mitigation than current GNSS. Joint demonstration at ION GNSS+ 2023 produced industry's first positioning and timing results using Xona PULSAR signals, with 20 cm instantaneous precision and simultaneous tracking of up to 13 PULSAR satellites.
- U.S. Air Force AFWERX (STTR 20.3 program)major customer / development partnerPhase I STTR contract awarded from the 20.3 solicitation after competitive review and selection process. AFWERX is the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force powered by AFRL, transitioning agile and accelerated capabilities. Subsequent Phase II AFWERX award of $750,000 (March 2022) with flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base.
- U.S. Army (SBIR 20.2 program)major customer / development partnerStarNav competitively selected under the SBIR 20.2 Army call as 1 of 99 companies out of 959 proposals, and 1 of 2 companies out of 57 submissions to a topic for alternative positioning technologies during GPS jamming. Subsequent Phase II SBIR award of ~$1.1M (Sept 2022) to transition technology from concept to prototype.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
StarNav competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- u-blox: u-blox produces GNSS receiver chips and modules, including multi-band L1/L5 receivers used in automotive, industrial, and consumer applications. It is a direct peer in the multi-frequency GNSS receiver space, though it is primarily chip-focused rather than FPGA-based receiver systems.
- Hexagon (NovAtel): Hexagon's NovAtel division is a leading supplier of high-precision GNSS receivers and is actively developing resilient / anti-jam PNT solutions for defense and commercial customers. Both StarNav and NovAtel sell multi-frequency GNSS receiver hardware into overlapping aerospace, defense, and autonomy customer bases, though NovAtel operates at significantly greater scale.
- Septentrio: Septentrio specializes in high-precision multi-frequency GNSS receivers with strong anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities (e.g., AIM+ technology). Its receivers compete directly with StarNav's SNDR-X in markets such as UAVs, autonomous systems, and defense applications requiring resilient PNT.
Broad incumbents
- L3Harris Technologies: L3Harris is a major defense prime with significant DoD positioning, navigation, and timing programs including anti-jam GPS and next-generation resilient PNT. It competes with StarNav for the same DoD procurement dollars and Phase II / Phase III SBIR follow-ons in GPS-denied PNT.
- Spirent Communications: Spirent is a global leader in GNSS test and simulation equipment (e.g., GSS9000, GSG-7/8 series), with an installed base across DoD and commercial PNT programs. While primarily a test/simulation vendor, Spirent's PNT simulation capability competes for budget that funds alternative-PNT R&D and qualification.
- Safran (Safran Federal Systems / Safran Trusted 4D): Safran supplies GNSS RF simulators (GSG-8 used in StarNav's PULSAR demonstration) and resilient PNT solutions including the NavGuard anti-jam antenna. As a broad incumbent in GNSS simulation and anti-jam technology, it competes for both test/qualification budget and resilient PNT procurement relevant to StarNav's customer set.
- BAE Systems: BAE Systems is a defense prime with established electronic systems and GPS/PNT product lines serving U.S. Army, Air Force, and Navy customers. It competes for the same DoD resilient PNT program dollars and is a likely integrator or competitor in any transition from SBIR to programs of record.
- Trimble: Trimble is a global positioning technology incumbent with broad GNSS hardware and software offerings across construction, agriculture, geospatial, and defense. Its resilient PNT efforts and OEM GNSS receiver modules compete for similar customers as StarNav's SNDR-X, but Trimble addresses a much wider portfolio beyond GPS-denied PNT.
- Honeywell Aerospace: Honeywell provides inertial navigation, GNSS receivers, and alternative-PNT systems (e.g., Honeywell Anthem, HGuide) for aerospace and defense. Its broad PNT portfolio overlaps with StarNav's value proposition for safety-of-life and military applications.
Emerging players
- Xona Space Systems: Xona Space Systems is developing the PULSAR LEO PNT constellation and is both a strategic partner of StarNav and a potential competitor in user equipment. Their tight co-development on PULSAR receivers creates both opportunity (integrator-of-choice) and risk (vertical integration by Xona) for StarNav.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
StarNav social profiles
Digital presenceStarNav financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
StarNav leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
StarNav subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
StarNav funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
StarNav M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about StarNav
What does StarNav do?
StarNav develops and sells hardware and software positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) receivers built on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) platform. Its flagship SNDR-X receiver integrates modern GNSS signals (GPS L5, Galileo E5a) with ambient radio signals of opportunity (cellular, TV broadcast, Globalstar, Iridium, Orbcomm, and Xona PULSAR) to deliver resilient PNT information for autonomous vehicles, UAVs, surface vessels, critical infrastructure, and military systems operating in GPS-challenged or GPS-denied environments. Companion standalone products include a GPS L5-only receiver and a Xona PULSAR LEO-PNT receiver module.
Is StarNav a public or private company?
StarNav is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was StarNav founded?
StarNav was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is StarNav based?
StarNav is headquartered in Riverside, United States, in the North America region.
How does StarNav make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Hardware Sales (PNT Receivers) is the primary driver. The others are government R&D Contract Revenue and consulting Services.
Who are StarNav's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are u-blox, Hexagon (NovAtel) and Septentrio. Broad incumbents are L3Harris Technologies, Spirent Communications, Safran (Safran Federal Systems / Safran Trusted 4D), BAE Systems, Trimble and Honeywell Aerospace. Xona Space Systems is listed as an emerging player.
Does StarNav have an API?
No public API is recorded for StarNav.
What industry is StarNav in?
StarNav's product category is GNSS/PNT Receivers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAFAC, GNSS/GPS Navigation & Augmentation Systems, with a secondary code of IMABAGAE, C4ISR Systems & Tactical Data Links. Its NAICS code is 54151 and its SIC code is 3812.