SAN DIEGO : General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), in partnership with Starburst Accelerator, a global aerospace and aviation incubator, hosted a selection committee entitled ÂThe Future Is Now at its headquarters in Poway, California on December 1^st. The showcase featured pitch-style presentations from 10 aerospace startups sharing technology and innovations to a cross-section of industry experts and potential investors. The event provided an opportunity to hear about new ideas being developed and consider how the ideas could impact business growth.

ÂGA-ASI has embraced an entrepreneurial approach to its business throughout our 25-plus years in aviation and this event is a natural extension of our approach to innovation, said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. ÂWe hosted this event as a way to provide aerospace entrepreneurs with an audience of enthusiastic industry leaders who are interested in investing in new technology that will fill critical capability gaps in support of the warfighter.Â

Starburst Accelerator hosts quarterly selection committee programs as part of its mission to provide access to seed funding from the top business angels and venture capital firms dedicated to aerospace, defense and security. As an added benefit, this event also attracts major aerospace industry resulting in a collaborative environment for the advancement of new technology.

ÂThe selection committees are integral to our work accelerating the most promising early-stage aerospace companies, said François Chopard, founder and CEO of Starburst Accelerator. ÂHosting our final program of 2017 at GA-ASI, a well-respected innovator in aviation and leading design manufacturer, was a natural choice and key to connecting the competing startups with major industry players. As we see more startups enter the aviation space and be welcomed by well-known incumbents, the future of aerospace is bright.Â