US Ignite
US Ignite is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit (founded 2011) that runs the NSF-funded SURGE program, equipping U.S. regional coalitions with a four-phase methodology to advance innovation, workforce development, and economic growth in AI, energy, and transportation.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What US Ignite does
US Ignite is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization founded in 2011 that develops programs and frameworks to help developers, communities, and regional stakeholders deliver transformative public-benefit technology initiatives. Its core offering is the SURGE (Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship) Program, a $3.9 million National Science Foundation-funded initiative launched on June 2, 2026, that equips regional coalitions with a structured four-phase methodology — Diagnose, Strategize, Connect & Execute, and Sustain — to advance innovation, commercialization, workforce development, and economic growth. SURGE focuses on emerging technology verticals including AI, energy, and transportation, and operates through a coalition-based engagement model serving regional coalitions, academic institutions, industry partners, and local governments.
The organization is governed by an experienced leadership team including founder and CTO Glenn Ricart, co-founder and CEO Joe Kochan, Chief Scientist Rick McGeer, and board chair Sue Spradley with executive chairman William Wallace. Its business model is grant-funded rather than commercial: US Ignite does not sell products or services and provides its programmatic support to coalition partners at no cost. Revenue derives from federal research grants, with the most recent $3.9M NSF award (December 2025) supplementing a prior $6M NSF grant from September 2015, implying cumulative disclosed grant funding of approximately $9.9M.
Strategically, US Ignite has positioned itself as a national convener of place-based innovation ecosystems, using NSF-backed credibility and its multi-phase methodology to shift regional innovation from competitive to collaborative investment approaches. Operating geographies are domestic (United States only), and the organization employs between 101 and 250 staff, consistent with a mid-sized non-profit program operator.
US Ignite firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- US Ignite
- Legal name
- US Ignite
- Website
- https://us-ignite.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- US Ignite is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit (founded 2011) that runs the NSF-funded SURGE program, equipping U.S. regional coalitions with a four-phase methodology to advance innovation, workforce development, and economic growth in AI, energy, and transportation.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where US Ignite is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
US Ignite business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- NSF Grant Funding: US Ignite receives grant funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation to establish and operate the SURGE program, a three-year initiative supporting regional innovation ecosystems and economic growth through collaborative partnerships.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
US Ignite product offering
Product offeringCore offering
US Ignite is a non-profit organization that operates programs such as the SURGE (Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship) initiative, which equips regional coalitions with a structured four-phase model (Diagnose, Strategize, Connect & Execute, and Sustain) to advance innovation, commercialization, workforce development, and research-driven economic growth. The organization fosters collaborations among industry, academia, and local governments to expand into emerging technology fields such as AI, energy, and transportation.
Product overview
US Ignite operates as a single unified program offering centered on the SURGE initiative. SURGE is a $3.9 million National Science Foundation-funded program that provides regional coalitions with a structured four-phase methodology to advance innovation ecosystems, expand into emerging fields (AI, energy, transportation), and promote economic growth through cross-sector collaboration.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SURGE (Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship)
Quantifiable outcome
- Move from competitive to collaborative place-based investment environment
Companies that use US Ignite
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
US Ignite technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
US Ignite partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
US Ignite competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- RTI International: RTI International is a large non-profit research institute that conducts contract research for government and commercial clients, including regional economic development studies. It is comparable to US Ignite as a federally-funded non-profit research intermediary, though with a much broader scientific portfolio.
- Battelle Memorial Institute: Battelle is a large non-profit research and technology development organization that manages significant federal R&D and runs technology-focused regional programs. It is comparable to US Ignite as a federally-funded non-profit intermediary, but at much greater scale and with proprietary lab capabilities.
- Techstars: Techstars is a large, established global accelerator with a regional development footprint through its city-based programs. It is comparable to US Ignite in supporting regional startup ecosystems, but operates a much broader, for-profit-affiliated portfolio model rather than a grant-funded coalition approach.
Direct peers
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global non-profit accelerator that supports early-stage startups with regional economic development impact. It mirrors US Ignite's mission of building innovation ecosystems and connecting cohorts to industry, academia, and government partners.
- Venture For America: Venture For America is a non-profit fellowship that places entrepreneurs in emerging U.S. cities to drive local economic development. Like US Ignite, it operates a place-based model aimed at translating external capital and talent into regional job creation and innovation ecosystem growth.
- Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation: The Kauffman Foundation is a major U.S. philanthropy focused on entrepreneurship and economic growth, including regional ecosystem programs. It is directly comparable to US Ignite as a foundation-funded entity supporting place-based innovation and entrepreneurship outcomes.
- State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI): SSTI is a national non-profit that serves state-level science, technology, and innovation agencies and intermediaries. It is highly comparable to US Ignite in operating as a federally-adjacent intermediary supporting regional innovation capacity-building and coalition coordination.
Others
- Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program: The Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program conducts research and policy work on regional economic competitiveness and innovation ecosystems. It is thematically comparable to US Ignite's regional development focus but operates as a research/policy think tank rather than a coalition-builder.
- Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute runs multiple programs on economic opportunity, workforce development, and regional growth. It is comparable to US Ignite as a non-profit policy/program operator, though with a much broader thematic remit and different funder mix.
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines: NSF's Regional Innovation Engines program funds multi-sector coalitions for regional technology and economic development. US Ignite's SURGE program is a near-adjacent recipient of the same federal funding stream and serves overlapping coalition partners.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
US Ignite social profiles
Digital presenceUS Ignite financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
US Ignite leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
US Ignite funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
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US Ignite 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 US Ignite
What does US Ignite do?
US Ignite is a non-profit organization that operates programs such as the SURGE (Supporting U.S. Regional Growth & Entrepreneurship) initiative, which equips regional coalitions with a structured four-phase model (Diagnose, Strategize, Connect & Execute, and Sustain) to advance innovation, commercialization, workforce development, and research-driven economic growth. The organization fosters collaborations among industry, academia, and local governments to expand into emerging technology fields such as AI, energy, and transportation.
Is US Ignite a public or private company?
US Ignite is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was US Ignite founded?
US Ignite was founded in 2011. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is US Ignite based?
US Ignite is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does US Ignite make money?
One revenue line is on record: NSF Grant Funding.
Who are US Ignite's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are RTI International, Battelle Memorial Institute and Techstars. Direct peers are MassChallenge, Venture For America, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and State Science & Technology Institute (SSTI). Others are Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program, Aspen Institute and National Science Foundation (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines.
Does US Ignite have an API?
No public API is recorded for US Ignite.