Innovation draws investor interest in small firm
By
Nick Wakeman
OGSystems has rapid growth and innovation on its side, and that was enough to draw the eye of a venture capital investor.
OGSystems is getting money and a little more with its new investment from General Catalyst Partners.
General Catalyst is investing an undisclosed amount into OGSystems, but it also is placing Tad Elmer, former CEO of BBN Technologies on its board of directors as an advisor.
OGSystems, is a small but fast-growing company focused on agile software and integration in the areas of cybersecurity, geospatial and data science. It counts defense and intelligence agencies as its customers.
The Chantilly, Va.-based company also claims that it has been growing by 100 percent a year since its founding 2005. It has 220 employees.
It’s an interesting company in that it is leading with its ability to innovate and collaborate with customers on some highly technical and complex problems.
“Our tagline, ‘Own the Outcome’, is a mental state and mantra for everyone at OGSystems to take responsibility and embrace the risk of new ideas, and it has defined our success in delivering customer innovation,” said Garrett Pagon, co-founder and president of OGSystems, in a press release.
Leading off the charge is the company’s Virtual Integrated Product Engineering Room or VIPER Labs, which the company touts as a collaboration space that brings “immersion engineering solutions” to bear on customer problems.
The investment by General Catalyst will increase the speed with which OGSystems can develop its capabilities, company officials said.
The addition of Elmer to the company board is a reflection of General Catalyst’s investment strategy and its XIR program, which matches former founders and CEOs with up-and-coming companies.
Elmer said he would bring his experience at BBN to help OGS create new opportunities.
“The [intelligence community] and DOD are ripe for a new platform to deliver rapid innovation,” he said.
The investment bank Houlihan Lokey served as the advisor to OGS to complete the investment.