Applied AI & Autonomy
Decision-support systems for environments where the margin for error is zero
Autonomous platforms and machine intelligence designed for high-stakes operational use — not demonstration.
Translating strategic problems into fielded capabilities.
For the U.S. government and its allies. Red Rock Applied Systems Institute is a mission-driven applied research engine at the intersection of policy, capital, and national security.
News and stories
What we are building now
Program launch · April 2026
R² ASI launches the Builders Program
First cohort now open for companies on aligned defense and dual-use problems.
Essay · March 2026
The translation problem
Why the West needs a new research model — and why R² ASI was built to close the gap.
Alexandria
Infrastructure · February 2026
Alexandria: An R² ASI exclusive partnership
Our partnership with Alexandria unlocks access to the world leading provider for contract capture and compliance across the U.S. and allied governments.
We are innovating in
Research that has to work in the field
Directed energy
Laser, microwave, and high-power systems
Counter-drone, area denial, and precision engagement for near-peer conflict.
Electronic warfare
Spectrum dominance and signal protection
Systems research for contested electromagnetic environments across operational domains.
The Institute
Academic in method. Applied in outcome.
About R² ASIThe translation problem
Policy, capital, and technology move on different timelines. The gap between them is where the West loses.
Read the essayA self-funding research flywheel
Alexandria handles SBIR proposal development so the Institute can compound without repeated private capital.
How Alexandria worksBuilders in orbit
Companies working on aligned problems get R&D access, contract support, and co-investment.
See the programOur path to platform
Building toward institutional scale from the first contract
Founded in 2026, R² ASI is building toward the kind of platform SRI, Bell Labs, and DARPA achieved over decades — faster, and with a self-funding model from day one.
Opportunities
Work with R² directly or bring a company into its orbit.
Join the first team
The first hires shape what R² ASI becomes. We move across applied AI, autonomy, directed energy, space systems, and more.
Learn moreCollaborate through Builders
Work on aligned problems, access government contracts and capital, and gain distribution through the Blacklake ecosystem.
Learn moreBe in the room
R² ASI convenes policymakers, capital allocators, and operators at the intersection of technology, security, and strategy.
Learn more