HEARD AROUND VIRGINIA: February 2026

AxioSight, a spinout of Herndon government contractor BTI360, emerged from stealth in December 2025 with a technology that had already helped law firms win favorable rulings in court. The company is beginning to introduce its artificial intelligence platform to commercial customers after years of development for the U.S. intelligence community. In early trials with law firms, attorneys used the system to tailor legal filings and documents to the specific interests and tendencies of judges. AxioSight is raising a $2 million pre-seed round, withba larger Series A planned for this year. (Washington Business Journal)

McLean government tech contractor BigBear.ai announced Dec. 31, 2025, that it had completed its $250 million acquisition of Ask Sage, a Warren County-based company known for its generative artificial intelligence platform designed for defense and national security agencies, as well as other highly regulated sectors. BigBear.ai previously announced its intention to acquire Ask Sage in November. Ask Sage supports more than 100,000 users across 16,000 government teams and hundreds of commercial organizations, according to BigBear.ai. Nearly 30 Ask Sage employees, including founder and CEO Nicolas Chaillan, will join BigBear.ai, bringing the former’s headcount to around 650 employees. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Signals intelligence company HawkEye 360 acquired Texas-based Innovative Signal Analysis, the Herndon-based company announced in mid-December 2025. The deal was backed by $150 million in equity and debt financing in a Series E round led by NightDragon and Center15 Capital, with additional debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank, Pinegrove Venture Partners and Hercules Capital. HawkEye’s technology is used to detect and locate radio frequency emissions throughout the world, and the company says the acquisition brings advanced algorithms, mission-ready systems and “deep engineering expertise.” (Potomac Tech Wire; news release)

Richmond-based startup Mobius Materials raised $3 million in a seed round, it announced mid-December 2025. Spero Ventures led the round, with participation from Outsiders Fund and RefashionD Ventures. Founded in 2021, Mobius Materials provides an online platform where companies can buy and sell electronic components like chips and semiconductors. Up to 5% of a company’s chip inventory goes to waste, according to founder Margaret Upshur, representing $15 billion a year, “which is an insane number,” she said, “going straight into the trash.” (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Origin Therapy, a year-old Fairfax startup helping speech, occupational and physical therapists launch and operate private practices, secured $2.6 million in pre-seed financing in December 2025. Chicago venture capital firm Distributed Ventures led the round. Founded in August 2024, Origin Therapy is using the funding to add markets, therapists, patients and employees to its network. It currently operates in Northern Virginia and predominantly in speech therapy but is now eyeing other geographies and therapies, co-founder and CEO Gabe Hart said. Origin Therapy will look to raise its next funding round in 2027. (Washington Business Journal)

The Cannabist Co. has scrapped a previously announced $110 million deal to sell its Central Virginia medical marijuana business to a subsidiary of Connecticut-based marijuana products provider Curaleaf, opting instead for a $130 million sale to an entity affiliated with Boston-based hedge fund Millstreet Credit Fund. The company announced the transaction Dec. 18, 2025. It involves The Cannabist Co.’s Green Leaf Medical of Virginia subsidiary, which cultivates, manufactures and sells medical marijuana in the greater Richmond region. The Virginia assets to be sold include five retail locations, a retail location under development and about 82,000 square feet of cultivation and production capacity. (VirginiaBusiness.com)