Booz Allen invests in wireless technology firm ODC

Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH) announced its venture capital arm invested in O-RAN Development Company, a technology firm focused on artificial intelligence-native Open RAN solutions for 5G and 6G networks. The investment was part of ODC's Series A funding round.

The McLean, Virginia-based consulting firm said the investment supports development of NextG wireless technologies for mission-critical communications and 6G infrastructure. ODC specializes in AI-native wireless network solutions that embed artificial intelligence directly into network architecture.

"At Booz Allen, we're advancing AI-native wireless networks that strengthen resilience and bring AI to the edge," said Chris Christou, senior vice president and 5G/NextG lead at Booz Allen.

The collaboration builds on Booz Allen's participation in the AI Wireless Innovation Network, which develops AI-native wireless technologies for operational environments. Initial efforts will focus on defense applications, with plans to expand to allied international markets and enterprise environments.

ODC's platform transforms wireless networks from communication infrastructure into distributed computing grids for AI processing applications. The technology processes data closer to mission locations to enable faster decision-making and improved network operations.

"ODC's platform can transform the network from a communication pipe into a distributed compute grid, which is the essential AI processing engine for the world's digital and physical infrastructure," said Dr. Shaygan Kheradpir, ODC chairman.

Booz Allen Ventures launched in 2022 and increased its fund size to $300 million in 2024. The fund invests in early-stage companies focused on artificial intelligence, defense technology, cybersecurity and space technologies.

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