Chicago startup Jiobit is bringing its hardware tracking device to the U.S. Air Force.
Jiobit announced Wednesday that it received a Small Business Innovation & Research (SBIR) Phase 2 grant from the U.S. Air Force. It's Jiobit's third contract with the Air Force, according to CMO Phyllis Lee. Jiobit completed Phase 1 of the SBIR program in June.
Jiobit declined to release specifics about the Air Force contract, but SBIR awards typically range from $750,000 to $1.5 million.
Founded in 2016, Jiobit has developed a wearable GPS tracker for children that uses a combination of GPS and beacon technology to help parents keep track of their kids. Its product officially launched in 2018. Jiobit also has a similar product for pets.
The startup raised a $6.5 million round of funding last November, and at the time CEO John Renaldi said Jiobit was beginning to sign on enterprise customers and government agencies. The company declined to say how the Air Force will use its hardware technology, but it's possible it could use Jiobit's devices to track inventory.
Renaldi told Chicago Inno last year that Jiobit's B2B and government sector customer base is "going to grow tremendously over the next 24 months.”
"We look forward to delivering solutions that address the needs of our U.S. Air Force customers while at the same time providing valuable new capabilities to our commercial customers," Roger Ady, Jiobit's CTO, said in a statement.
