Hedgefog Research Inc.

Hedgefog Research Inc., a for-profit Subchapter S corporation based in San Pedro, California, operates as a prime contractor specializing in advanced research and development across defense, aerospace, and space sectors, competing exclusively under total small business set-asides on SBIR and STTR programs and federal research grants. The company manufactures innovative sensor and instrumentation technologies, with a footprint anchored to Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and Phase II contracts from defense agencies and civilian research programs. All 43 recent awards in the source represent prime work; the company has no subcontracting presence.

Hedgefog's capability portfolio centers on wearable physiological sensors, spectrometry systems, environmental monitoring instrumentation, and advanced materials research. Representative contract work includes a $1.7 million SBIR Phase II award from Air Force Research Laboratory (May 2025) for contact lens integrated physiological sensors; a $1.9 million SBIR Phase II award from the Department of the Army (September 2023, extended to June 2026) for wearable technologies for physiological monitoring; a $1.1 million SBIR Phase II award from Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (March 2023) for aerosol ionization mass spectrometer development; and a $240 thousand definitive contract from Naval Facilities Engineering Command (April 2026) for research and development at the San Pedro facility. Earlier work includes a $750 thousand SBIR Phase II from NASA Shared Services Center (July 2021) for bendable electrodynamic dust shields and a $750 thousand NASA SBIR Phase II (April 2022) for thermal expansion mapper technology. Grant work spans the Department of Energy Office of Science, including a $250 thousand project grant (CFDA 81.049, February 2022) for quantum enabled non-destructive optical microscopy and a $200 thousand project grant (February 2024) for spin polarized electron emission device development.

Customer concentration splits between defense R&D agencies and civilian research programs. NASA Shared Services Center leads by award count (8 awards, $3 million combined potential value) and ties for dollar leadership; Air Force Research Laboratory (5 awards, $3 million) and the Department of the Navy Naval Air Warfare Center (5 awards, $2.1 million) round out the top three. When ranked by potential value, the Defense Health Agency (3 awards, $2.5 million) and the Department of the Army (3 awards, $2.3 million) emerge as anchors. The top five customers account for 60% of awards and 65% of combined potential value. Award volume declined notably year over year—from seven awards in 2023 to three in 2024 to two in 2025—with only one award (April 2026) in the current year. Three awards carrying $1.9 million in combined potential value reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, creating recompete exposure. Work is performed at the San Pedro facility and spans NAICS 541712 (Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences) with heavy concentration in defense R&D and medical basic research PSC categories.