Zulu Pods is bringing its technology to the United States Navy.
The company was awarded a Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Navy to develop new engine lubricating fluid and delivery systems for unmanned aerial vehicles and expendable weapon systems. The technology is intended to reduce system weight, cost and maintenance requirements due to fluid leaks and lubricant shelf life.
Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Zulu Pods makes lubrication systems for jet engines and helicopters. The startup is the maker of a self-contained, hermetically sealed packaged oil delivery system called the Zulu Pod. The pods, placed in the working zone of an engine bearing or gear compartment, can release the minimum amount of lubrication required for a machine's optimal performance.
The Navy contract will help the firm develop and scale testing of its pod technology and explore future commercialization for the military and commercial unmanned aerial vehicle markets, according to a press release.
Zulu Pods, founded in 2020, is backed by $455,000 in grant funding, according to data from Crunchbase. That includes $30,000 it was awarded this month at the 2023 Florida Aerospace and Emerging Tech Forum, where the firm was the first-runner up winner. The event was organized by Space Florida, the state's aerospace economic development agency, and the Florida Venture Forum, an organization that supports investors and entrepreneurs.
In addition to its South Florida office, Zulu Pods has a research and development facility near the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.
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