Organic Robotics Corporation

Organic Robotics Corporation is a small business based in Rochester, New York, that specializes in the development and commercialization of advanced wearable fiber optic sensor technologies for physiological and biomechanical monitoring applications. As a Cornell University spin-out founded by Ilayda Samilgil and Rob Shepherd, the company leverages its proprietary Light Lace technology—soft, stretchable fiber optic sensors that can be integrated into textiles—to create innovative biometric monitoring solutions for military and civilian applications. The company has established a robust track record as a prime contractor and grant recipient across multiple federal agencies, with particular strength in the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program portfolios.

Organic Robotics Corporation has secured substantial federal contract awards totaling approximately $8.8 million across multiple prime contracts designated as total small business set-asides. The Department of the Army has been a significant partner, awarding the company contracts valued at approximately $4.1 million for initiatives including the development of an integrated physiological monitoring combat shirt utilizing Light Lace fiberoptic sensor technology (Phase II SBIR, $2.0 million, completion September 2027), wearable technologies for physiological monitoring ($1.9 million Phase II SBIR, completed March 2025), and high-speed fiber-optic respiratory monitoring ($149,360 Phase I SBIR, completed July 2023). The Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded approximately $4.2 million in contracts spanning fiber optic tactical apparel for combat and training applications ($1.25 million Phase II SBIR, completed February 2026), a tactical funding increase special sequential Phase II project on light-based sensors ($979,986 firm fixed-price contract, completed December 2025), cockpit monitoring systems for pilot muscle tension, heart rate, and respiration ($749,915 STTR Phase II, completed June 2023), and multiple Phase I efforts including the CANINE-SENSE project for service animal monitoring ($109,955 STTR Phase I, completed March 2024), biomechanical monitoring for human-optimized training and operations ($74,988 STTR Phase I, completed August 2023), and the FLIGHTWISE cockpit biometric and posture monitoring system ($74,980 SBIR Phase I, completed August 2023). All contract awards have been structured as firm fixed-price or definitive contracts with total small business set-aside designations, demonstrating the company's qualification and performance under federal procurement programs.

Organic Robotics Corporation has received one prime federal grant award and participates as a sub-awardee in federally funded research initiatives. The company received a $992,412 cooperative agreement from the National Science Foundation's Division of Industrial Innovation under the Engineering federal grant program (CFDA 47.041) for the SBIR Phase II: High Data Rate Biometric Monitoring project, awarded on December 1, 2021, with funding through November 30, 2023. Additionally, Organic Robotics Corporation serves as a sub-awardee under a Cornell University prime grant focused on advances in sensing technology for blast exposure through wearable devices for traumatic brain injury mitigation. Under this sub-award, the company is developing textile-integrated sensors based on Light Lace technology to deliver real-time blast overpressure impact data and physiological measurements including respiratory and cardiac information for both military and civilian athlete applications, with the award announced on June 3, 2023.

Organic Robotics Corporation holds one federal contract Indefinite Delivery Vehicle (IDV) agreement with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) valued at $499,510. Awarded on March 25, 2024, this Other Transaction (OT) agreement focuses on the continuous measurement of vitals using fiberoptic networks and is designated as a BTO Seedling Modification. The IDV does not fall under a parent vehicle structure but rather serves as a direct DARPA acquisition mechanism that allows the agency to issue task orders for further development and implementation of the company's advanced fiber optic monitoring systems. This OT agreement positions Organic Robotics to support DARPA's broader research and development initiatives in physiological monitoring technologies, leveraging the company's established expertise in wearable sensor integration and real-time biometric data collection for defense applications.