The Digital Best in Show Award recognises the USA Partnership Pavilion exhibitor with the strongest and most complete company listing on Sourcehere. The award celebrates companies that make the most of their digital profile by providing up-to-date company information, complete contact details, well-presented products and clear descriptions, as well as information about their team.

For the inaugural award, Essex Industries stood out for the quality and completeness of its Sourcehere company listing. Its profile provided visitors with the information they needed to understand the company, and explore its products and capabilities. With a complete and professional profile, Essex Industries demonstrated how a well-maintained company listing can make it easier for buyers, delegations and industry professionals to discover and engage with an exhibitor on Sourcehere.

As the winner, Essex Industries will receive a $2,500 advertising credit on Sourcehere, which will be used for a premium top-banner advertising campaign running for four weeks. This will give the company additional visibility with buyers, delegations and industry professionals as they start planning their next shows. 

The Digital Best in Show Award highlights the importance of keeping company information current. A complete Sourcehere listing can help companies showcase their capabilities, products and people while making it easier for potential customers and industry contacts to connect with them.

Congratulations to the Essex Industries team on becoming our inaugural Digital Best in Show winner!

This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for future Digital Best in Show winners as Sourcehere continues to recognise companies that are making the most of their digital presence.

Top Aces Inc. (“Top Aces”), the global leader in advanced operational air combat training, today announced the completion of its acquisition of Select Global International (“SGI”), a Canadian defence company specializing in simulator-based fighter pilot instruction for the Royal Canadian Air Force (“RCAF”).

The transaction, which was first announced on June 11, 2026, brings together SGI’s high-fidelity synthetic training expertise with Top Aces’ more than 20 years of advanced live-fly operational training. The combined expertise ideally positions Top Aces to support the RCAF’s transition to a fifth-generation fighter capability, advancing the objectives of Canada’s Operational Training Infrastructure Enterprise Modernization (OTIEM).

Top Aces Inc. (“Top Aces”), the world's leading provider of advanced operational training for allied air forces, today announced it is leading an all-Canadian industry team with Raytheon Canada, CogSim, and Select Global International (SGI) to pursue Canada’s Operational Training Infrastructure Enterprise Modernization (OTIEM) program.

As Canada prepares to introduce fifth‑generation fighter aircraft, OTIEM represents a strategic, sovereign capability essential to modernizing the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) operational training enterprise. It will define how Canada trains, tests, and exercises fifth‑generation airpower and multi‑domain operations, while strengthening readiness, interoperability with allies, and long-term national control over this mission-critical training capability.

As team lead, Top Aces has assembled a Canadian industrial team that combines unmatched air combat training expertise, proven enterprise-scale OTI systems integration experience, and deep live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training know-how to deliver a modernized, futureready OTIEM solution for the RCAF. Designed as a world‑class training venue, this program will also enable combined training with our allies, supporting the readiness of our key defence alliances.

A Canadian Team Built to Deliver OTIEM

• Top Aces (Prime Contractor) – Founded in Montreal by former RCAF fighter pilots, Top Aces brings operational credibility as a Canadian defence company, with over two decades of experience delivering advanced livefly adversary air (AdAir) training to the Canadian Armed Forces and allied air forces worldwide. Since 2019, Top Aces has performed over 5,000 sorties of AdAir support to allied fifth-generation fleets including the F-22 and F-35, demonstrating the operational training expertise critical for OTIEM execution.
• Raytheon Canada (Lead Technical Integrator) – For more than 70 years, Raytheon Canada has provided the Canadian Armed Forces with mission-critical, enterprise-scale program management, systems integration, and lifecycle sustainment, supported by a large, security-cleared Canadian workforce. Through its work with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Raytheon brings proven OTI implementation experience at comparable scale and complexity to OTIEM. Raytheon is an RTX business.
• SGI – A Canadian defence company specializing in simulator-based fighter pilot instruction and ground-based training delivery in support of the RCAF, staffed by veteran CF-18 instructor pilots with extensive operational and leadership experience.
• CogSim – A Canadian company delivering world-class modelling, simulation, and distributed mission training technologies, including tactical data-link simulation, LVC bridging, and cloud-based distributed training solutions for allied air forces worldwide.

Together, the Top Aces-led team brings the operational credibility, systems integration depth, and sovereign Canadian industrial capability required to deliver OTIEM at enterprise scale. The team offers a low-risk, mission-ready path to modernizing Canada’s operational training infrastructure while strengthening national control over data, intellectual property, sustainment, and long-term capability evolution in line with Canada’s defence industrial objectives.

“OTIEM is fundamentally about operational readiness and sovereignty,” said Paul Bouchard, Chief Executive Officer at Top Aces. “This team brings together the right experience, at the right scale, with the credibility that comes from having already delivered complex operational training systems for Canada and our closest allies. Together, we are ready to partner with Canada to design, deliver, and sustain a modern training capability that evolves with the threat environment and supports force generation for decades to come.”

The Top Aces-led team is prepared to begin the definition phase immediately – ensuring alignment with the RCAF’s future fleet introduction and operational training requirements.

For nearly
three decades, Fargo Jet Center has built a reputation as one of the industry's
most trusted air medical aircraft conversion partners, delivering purpose-built
aircraft to the operators who move patients when it matters most. That track
record recently reached a significant milestone: 150 special missions aircraft modified across 30 countries and six continents,
spanning air medical transport, atmospheric research, reconnaissance, and cloud
seeding.

Air medical
work has always been central to that history. Many of Fargo Jet Center's air
medical relationships span years and multiple aircraft, built on repeat
projects with the same operators as their fleets grow and their missions
evolve. That kind of staying power shows up clearly in the company's recent
work.

Earlier this
year, Fargo Jet Center completed its 10th dedicated air medical aircraft for Life
Flight Network, a
not-for-profit patient transport service. “Each conversion reflects the
precision and craftsmanship our crews rely on every day,” said Chad
McCracken, Life Flight Network's Senior Director of Maintenance, of the
partnership.

Recent
completions also reflect the breadth of expertise at Fargo Jet Center. The
company delivered a dedicated air medical Learjet 45 to Airmedic, a Canadian air ambulance provider, as part
of Airmedic's fleet upgrade program. And most recently, the company completed a
fully outfitted air medical Pilatus PC-12 for Metro Aviation, the largest
privately held traditional air medical operator in the United States, which
will operate the aircraft for Children's Nebraska. The project paired interior
and avionics work in Fargo with a custom exterior paint scheme completed at
affiliate Premier Jet Center in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, matching the bright
livery of the Children's Nebraska helicopter and ambulance fleet.

For
air medical conversions, and across all special missions work, Fargo Jet Center
serves as a single-source fleet modernization partner, guiding operators from
aircraft acquisition through avionics, interior completion, and paint, so that
as operators grow their fleet or embark on a modernization program, the process
stays streamlined rather than scattered across vendors. One partner. One
process. Mission restored.

Venus Aerospace today announced eight leadership additions, new hires and internal promotions spanning government, product and operations. The moves follow the company's $91 million Series B, announced last week. 

Venus flew the world's first high-thrust RDRE in May 2025. Venus' RDRE architecture is designed for the range, efficiency and manufacturability that defense and space customers need as legacy systems struggle to keep pace with production timelines and supply chain constraints. The leadership additions announced today are built to carry that architecture toward deployment: product leadership to mature engineering into a full propulsion system, government relationships to navigate policy, procurement and to engage the end users who will fly and operate this technology, and operational depth to build the organization Venus needs as it moves toward that goal. 

Lane Bodian joins as Vice President of Public Policy, and Dan Rebnord joins as Director of Federal Government Relations, leading Venus' engagement with government stakeholders as the company advances its technology for defense and space missions. They join a team that has grown steadily over the past year, including Matt Stohr, Head of Business Development, and Sheila Menz, General Counsel. 

Tom Barron, previously Vice President of Operations, becomes Chief Operating Officer. Nick Cardwell, previously Vice President of Research and Development, becomes Chief Product Officer. Both promotions reflect the depth Venus has built internally as its technology and organization have grown. 

Cameron Taylor joins as Vice President of Operations. Sarah Boland Heine joins as Head of Communications. 

"We flew the world's first high-thrust RDRE in just over four years on $80 million. We believe that makes it the fastest, most capital-efficient rocket engine program in history," said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. "Adding this talent to our leadership team is how we bring that same discipline to the company itself, as we scale to meet the technical needs of defense and space customers who need range and speed legacy systems can't deliver." 

Lane Bodian, Vice President of Public Policy 

Lane Bodian brings significant experience shaping national security policy to lead the company’s government affairs strategy. He previously served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs at the Pentagon and spent over 12 years in the U.S. Senate working on foreign and domestic policy. He holds a master's degree from the U.S. Army War College and a bachelor's degree from Franklin & Marshall College. 

Dan Rebnord, Director of Federal Government Relations 
Dan Rebnord has spent more than a decade working national security issues on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch, most recently as Senior Policy Advisor to a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, with additional service in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the Department of Defense and as Staff Director for a national security subcommittee in the House of Representatives. He holds a master's degree from Georgetown University's Security Studies Program and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis. 

Tom Barron, Chief Operating Officer 
Tom Barron's career spans commercial, government and military experience. He previously served as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, and was a White House Fellow at the Domestic Policy Council. He also served aerospace clients as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He began his career as a U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces officer with multiple combat and operational deployments in leadership and command positions. He holds an A.B. from Harvard University and an MPhil from the University of Cambridge. 

Nick Cardwell, PhD, Chief Product Officer 
Before joining Venus, Nick Cardwell held product and technology leadership roles at deep tech VC-backed companies in San Francisco bay area and Austin, TX, working across product and technology development in aerospace, energy, biotech and smart cities. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Tyler and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. 

Cameron Taylor, Vice President of Operations 
Cameron Taylor joins Venus with broad experience across commercial and operations functions, strategy and product management. Before joining Venus, Cameron worked at Crown Castle as the Vice President of Sales and Commercial Operations. He began his career as a U.S. Marine Corps Intelligence officer with multiple global deployments. He holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas. 

Sarah Boland Heine, Head of Communications 
Sarah Boland Heine’s experience spans political campaigns, national advocacy organizations and strategic consulting. As a founding member of the executive team at Intrepid, she advised Fortune 500 companies and emerging aerospace and aviation ventures navigating complex regulatory environments. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Teach For America alum. 

Matt Stohr, Head of Business Development 
Matt Stohr's background spans consulting, commercial operations and defense leadership. Before joining Venus, he worked at Deloitte Consulting, where he led business development and go-to-market initiatives for Deloitte's Sports practice. He began his career as a U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces officer with multiple combat deployments. He holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School. 

Sheila Menz, General Counsel 
Before joining Venus last summer, Sheila Menz served as Deputy General Counsel at the Pentagon and has held roles at the State Department, the U.S. Senate and the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She also spent six years in private practice in Washington, D.C., counseling clients in technology, defense and other regulated industries. She holds a bachelor's degree from Syracuse University and a J.D. from UC Berkeley School of Law. 

About Venus Aerospace 
Venus Aerospace is building next-generation propulsion systems for defense, space, and future high-speed flight. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Venus is developing flight-proven Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) technology designed to deliver greater efficiency, range, and scalability for defense and space missions. Venus’ propulsion systems are designed for domestic manufacturing and mission flexibility across national security and aerospace applications. Venus is backed by Mercury Fund, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, Airbus Ventures, Trousdale Ventures and others. To learn more, visit www.venusaero.com. 

After completing the world’s first successful flight test of a high-thrust rotating detonation rocket engine (RDRE) in May 2025, Venus Aerospace today announced the close of a $91 million Series B financing led by Mercury Fund, a Houston-based venture capital firm, with participation from Lockheed Martin Ventures, MESH, PEAK6, Draper Associates, Starboard Star Venture Capital, Green Sands Equity, Seraph Group, Trousdale Ventures, and other new and existing strategic and institutional investors.  

The round will fund Venus as it scales development and production, moving its RDRE propulsion system from successful flight demonstration toward deployment for a range of near-term defense and space applications. Current systems struggle to meet customer requirements for range, performance and domestic production. Venus is building to close that gap.  

The announcement follows the recent appointment of Pam Melroy, former NASA Deputy Administrator, to Venus’ board of directors.

Unlike conventional rocket engines, which burn fuel through subsonic combustion, Venus’ RDRE employs a continuous supersonic detonation wave that rotates around the combustion chamber. The result is the most efficient rocket engine architecture ever flown, by a margin of 15 percent. This efficiency gain can translate into extended range, increased payload flexibility, and more capable systems across defense and space missions where performance margins are critical.

Built from 3D-printed components and standard materials, the RDRE is designed for domestic manufacturing at scale through accessible supply chains, reducing reliance on constrained or foreign-sourced parts. The engine is reusable and throttleable, with a wide range of mission applications, from munitions and space launch to orbital transfer and landers. Rather than developing a different engine for each application, Venus is building a common propulsion architecture intended to serve across multiple mission classes.

Demand for hypersonic and long-range capability is accelerating as the U.S. and its allies move to field systems that can reach farther and fly faster than legacy platforms allow. Venus is building its engines in Texas with American engineering talent for customers whose missions depend on reliable, sovereign propulsion capability.  

“This financing marks an important step in moving Venus from breakthrough demonstration to scaled capability,” said Sassie Duggleby, co-founder and CEO of Venus Aerospace. “Our customers need propulsion systems that go farther, can be produced reliably and are built on supply chains they can trust. We are advancing that capability with American engineering and manufacturing talent to strengthen U.S. defense, expand space access and support the future of high-speed flight.”

"Venus is exactly the kind of company Houston capital should be backing," said Blair Garrou, co-founder and Managing Partner at Mercury Fund. "It combines multiple frontier technologies, domestic manufacturing and clear commercial and national security relevance. We believe this team is positioned to lead an important new chapter in defense and space, and we are proud to support a company building breakthrough technology here in Texas."

“Lockheed Martin Ventures invests in technologies to help increase mission effectiveness,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Since our initial investment, Venus has progressed very quickly in its technology development. Our reinvestment in Venus recognizes Venus’ accomplishments to date and focus on speed to manufacture, cost management and reduction of supply chain constraints. Venus is working effectively to position its propulsion system for the production scale required by defense programs.”

"This capital allows us to move from successful flight demonstration toward deployable propulsion systems," said Andrew Duggleby, co-founder and CTO of Venus Aerospace. "What differentiates our RDRE is not just that it works, but that it has flown at high thrust and was designed with scale, manufacturability and mission integration in mind. Our propulsion architecture combines efficiency, throttling, reusability and manufacturability in a way that customers need for real defense and space missions. We are focused on translating technical progress into reliable systems for operational use."

Venus conducted the world's first flight test of a high-thrust rotating detonation engine in May 2025, reaching that milestone in just over four years on $80 million in capital, one of the fastest and most capital-efficient engine development efforts of its kind.

Venus Aerospace is building next-generation propulsion systems for defense, space, and future high-speed flight. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Venus is developing flight-proven Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE) technology designed to deliver greater efficiency, range, and scalability for defense and space missions. Venus' propulsion systems are designed for domestic manufacturing and mission flexibility across national security and aerospace applications. Venus is backed by Mercury Fund, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, Airbus Ventures, Trousdale Ventures and others. To learn more, visit .

Media Contact

press@venusaero.com