Cornerstone Defense

What Cornerstone Defense does

Cornerstone Defense LLC is a privately held Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) that provides cloud architecture, enterprise engineering, systems and network engineering, systems and network security, and application and software development services to the Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities of the U.S. Government. The company is headquartered in Herndon, VA, with a secondary office in Odenton, MD, and employees working across at least seven states (DC, MD, CO, UT, NM, HI, CA). It operates through three service sectors — Aerospace & Defense, Intelligence, and Mission Planning & Operations (MPO) — supported by a dedicated 20-person internal recruiting function focused on cleared talent acquisition.

The company's underlying technology stack spans cloud implementation, enterprise engineering, cybersecurity operations (C-SOC, Splunk/ELK cyber analytics, orchestration), space systems engineering with Model-Based Systems Engineering approaches, full-lifecycle Guidance Navigation and Control (GNC) development, and AI/ML capabilities including LLM/RAG applications, NLP using transformer-based models (e.g., BERT), Random Forest predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and multi-modal analytics across text, signals, and imagery. Its proprietary framing centers on a "Mission Driven Methodology" and end-to-end solutions for cloud, cyber, space operations, and intelligence mission support, with delivery staff operating primarily in classified TS/SCI environments.

Cornerstone generates revenue as a prime contractor on established U.S. Government contract vehicles — GSA MAS Schedule (SIN 54151S), SeaPort-NxG, and Other Transactional Authorities via the Naval Surface Technology Innovation Consortium (NSTIC) — providing professional services through multi-year contracts to agencies including the DoD service branches, DIA, FBI, DHS, NSA, Cyber Command, NAVAIR / Navy F-35, and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise sales to federal agencies; its marketing mix emphasizes LinkedIn, ClearanceJobs, employee referral events, and a quarterly newsletter. The company was named the 9th fastest growing company in the government market by Washington Technology Fast 50 in 2020.

Name

Cornerstone Defense

Legal name

Cornerstone Defense LLC

Website

https://cornerstonedefense.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Cornerstone Defense is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business delivering cloud, cybersecurity, systems engineering, space operations, and AI/ML professional services to U.S. Intelligence, Defense, and Space agencies as a prime contractor on SeaPort-NxG, GSA MAS, and OTA vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government IT & Defense Services

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), National Security and International Affairs (9281), Space Research and Technology (92711)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Intelligence (Strategic, Tactical & Technical) (BPAIAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Secure Communications, Cryptography & Key Management Systems (IMABAOAK)

Keywords

• Government IT services
• Defense cloud architecture
• Systems engineering
• Cybersecurity operations
• Intelligence community support

Headquarters

HQ city

Hanover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Defense Contracts: Prime contractor providing IT services, cloud architecture, systems engineering, cybersecurity, and software development to U.S. Government Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities. Revenue generated through awarded contracts including OTA awards, SeaPort-NxG, GSA MAS Schedule, and direct contract engagements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cornerstone Defense provides professional IT and engineering services to U.S. Government Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities. Its core capabilities span cloud architecture, enterprise and systems/network engineering, cybersecurity operations, software development, AI/ML and data analytics, and space/mission operations support, delivered across Aerospace & Defense, Intelligence, and MPO service sectors. The company also maintains a dedicated 20-person recruitment capability that supports talent acquisition and retention for cleared government missions.

Product overview

Cornerstone Defense is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business providing professional services to Intelligence, Defense, and Space communities of the U.S. Government. The company operates across three service sectors (Aerospace & Defense, Intelligence, and MPO) plus dedicated Recruitment Services, offering cloud architecture, enterprise engineering, systems/network engineering, cybersecurity, data analytics, and software development. The portfolio includes government contract vehicles (SeaPort-NxG, GSA MAS Schedule) and specialized technical capabilities spanning space operations, signals intelligence, cyber operations, and AI/ML solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aerospace & Defense Sector Services Provides systems engineering, integration, operations, test and evaluation, software engineering, guidance/navigation/control, network engineering, cloud implementation, and information systems security for DoD and Space customers. Focus areas include space systems, spacecraft operations, and mission-critical satellite support.
• Intelligence Sector Services Delivers solutions for information collection, operations, exploitation, dissemination, and research activities. Provides mission-critical IT networks, application engineering, cyber security operations, offensive threat detection, and intelligence analysis across Military Intelligence, DIA, FBI, DHS, NSA, and other agencies.
• MPO (Mission Planning & Operations) Sector Services Specializes in Collections & CNO, Processing & Analytics, Network Security, Cybersecurity, Enterprise Infrastructure, and Software Engineering. Creates custom tools for strategic intelligence collection and computer network operations spanning SIGINT, HUMINT, MASINT, CounterIntelligence, and IMINT.
• Recruitment Services Dedicated recruitment team of 20 recruiters providing talent acquisition, retention support, and talent pool management. Functions as an autonomous division separate from HR, focusing on sourcing, attracting, and retaining top-tier cleared talent for government missions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Named 9th fastest growing company in the government market

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability9 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Naval Surface Technology Innovation Consortium (NSTIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of NSTIC which partners with Government, industry, and academia to award Other Transactional Authorities (OTAs). Enables Cornerstone to pursue innovative technology contracts outside traditional procurement pathways.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ManTech International: A leading defense and intelligence IT services contractor providing systems engineering, cybersecurity, and software development to the same IC and DoD customers (DIA, NSA, DoD service branches). Closely comparable in mission focus and customer overlap, though at significantly larger scale.
• CACI International: Mid-size defense IT and intelligence services contractor with comparable mission focus across signals intelligence, cyber operations, and C5ISR. Directly competes with Cornerstone on Navy (SeaPort-NxG) and IC task orders.
• Peraton: Private equity-backed (Veritas Capital) defense and intelligence services provider covering cyber, space, signals intelligence, and electronic warfare. Closely comparable customer base and mission-IT service mix.
• Kforce Inc. Professional staffing and solutions firm with a Federal Government segment providing cleared IT and engineering talent — a closely analogous model of high-touch recruitment serving cleared missions at similar small-to-mid scale.
• LinQuest Corporation: Specialized space systems engineering and integration firm supporting DoD and Intelligence Community space missions. Closely comparable niche in space systems engineering and GNC; comparable scale profile.
• IntelliBridge: Mid-size government IT services firm focused on the Intelligence Community and DoD — closely comparable scale, customer base, and mission-IT capability profile (cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics).

Broad incumbents

• Booz Allen Hamilton: Major management and technology consulting firm with a large defense/intel practice serving NSA, DIA, FBI, DoD. Competes with Cornerstone for talent and contracts but at far greater scale across a broader portfolio.
• SAIC: Large federal IT services integrator with overlapping capability sets in cloud, cybersecurity, space, and intelligence analysis. Serves the same DoD and IC customer base but with broader portfolio and significantly more scale.
• Leidos: Top-tier defense and intelligence systems integrator serving DoD, Intelligence Community, and federal civilian customers. Competes with Cornerstone on similar mission programs at substantially larger scale.
• KBR Inc. Global science, technology, and engineering solutions provider with a sizable Government Solutions segment serving DoD and intelligence customers across cyber, space, and mission IT.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CornerstoneDef
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-defense
• Xx.com/CornerstoneDef

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornerstone Defense