Protopia AI Receives $1.25M Direct-to-Phase II Contract from U.S. Air Force to Demonstrate Stained Glass Transform

In partnership with the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate (AFSC/SW), Protopia AI to drive mission-ready, secure software development with coding LLMs

AUSTIN, Texas, July 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Protopia AI, a leader in AI data protection and privacy-enhancing technologies, announces it has received a Direct-to-Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract for $1.25 million to demonstrate the utility of its flagship product, Stained Glass Transform (SGT), in enabling the secure use of proprietary code with AI developer tools. Protopia will enable the Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate (AFSC/SW) to use SGT technology to protect code from prompts used for inference with coding LLMs. This SBIR will enable secure use of proprietary codebases with cost-efficient generative AI for software development teams across the Air Force.

Potential applications of the technology include securely unlocking on-premises AI infrastructure to serve coding LLMs, allowing multiple teams within AFSC/SW to securely interact with AI and developer tools without exposing their codebases in plain text on the underlying shared infrastructure. Protopia AI will develop SGT for coding LLMs to give developers and leaders throughout the organization access to cutting-edge productivity tools, speeding their software development and testing efforts in a secure and cost-efficient manner.

"Protopia AI is honored to receive the AFWERX Direct-to-Phase II award and is excited to partner with the AFSC/SW Directorate. This collaboration highlights the critical need for dual-use technologies that enable secure and cost-efficient adoption of generative AI in both mission-critical environments and commercial applications," said Eiman Ebrahimi, CEO and Co-Founder of Protopia AI. "As AI-based productivity tools become central to the value generated by LLMs, it is essential to empower software development teams within the Air Force and the Department of Defense to leverage the power of large language models (LLMs) without risking the confidentiality and proprietary nature of their code."

This award was competitively selected through the AFRL/AFWERX Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, which encourages small businesses to engage in federal research and development with the potential for commercialization. This contract represents a significant milestone for Protopia AI, further solidifying its reputation as a reliable and innovative technology partner for the military and other government agencies. Protopia AI looks forward to continuing to deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the unique needs of its customers.

ABOUT PROTOPIA AI
Protopia AI is a pioneer in privacy-preserving AI, enabling enterprises to unlock the full potential of generative AI without compromising data confidentiality. The company's patented Stained Glass Transform technology eliminates plaintext exposure during AI inference, ensuring that sensitive data remains protected, even when using managed models or infrastructure. Protopia AI is the first-place winner of xTechScalable AI2 by the US Army and is a trusted partner to organizations in regulated industries such as financial services, healthcare, the public sector, research, manufacturing, and high-tech. Protopia AI helps organizations accelerate the deployment of their AI use cases to production cost-efficiently while maintaining control over their most valuable assets: their data. Learn more at www.protopia.ai.

ABOUT AFSC/SW
The Air Force Sustainment Center Software Directorate (AFSC/SW) plays a crucial role in modernizing and maintaining the Air Force's software capabilities. This directorate oversees the entire lifecycle of mission-critical software systems, from initial design and development through deployment and sustainment, encompassing both new software creation and legacy system modernization. Cybersecurity is paramount, with security practices integrated throughout the software lifecycle. AFSC/SW embraces Agile development and DevSecOps principles, utilizing CI/CD pipelines and automated testing to accelerate delivery and enhance quality and security. Cloud computing and migration are key focus areas, enabling improved scalability and faster deployment. Digital engineering techniques are employed to model and simulate systems, while AI/ML technologies are being explored and implemented to enhance various capabilities. Recognizing the importance of a skilled workforce, the directorate invests in training and development. Finally, collaboration with government agencies, industry partners, and academia fosters innovation and leverages best practices, ensuring the Air Force maintains cutting-edge software technology for air superiority in the digital age.

About AFRL
The Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace forces. With a workforce spanning across nine technology areas and 40 other operations around the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit afresearchlab.com.

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX brings cutting-edge American ingenuity from small businesses and start-ups to address the most pressing challenges of the DAF. AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive faster technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.

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SOURCE Protopia AI