The U.S. Department of Energy Selects Craft to Protect Federal Investments from Foreign Influence

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Craft, the supply chain resilience company, today announced its risk management platform was selected by the United States Department of Energy (DoE) to provide risk assessments for companies that apply for awards and loans through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. The collaboration is part of a larger effort to protect U.S. energy infrastructure, technology, intellectual property, and federal investments from hostile foreign nations and influence.

Currently, more than 500 employees across 61 federal government organizations use the Craft platform in support of the SBIR program to enhance their due diligence practices. The DoE’s Office of Research, Technology & Economic Security is the latest agency to use Craft to conduct due diligence on SBIR award applicants. This formerly manual process is now completed quickly and accurately, and supports compliance with the U.S. SBIR And STTR Extension Act of 2022. With Craft, the DoE can discover foreign ownership and associations across myriad data points including patents, licensing, board seats, politically exposed people, investor locations, blocklists, ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO), and more.

“The U.S. invests significantly in the private sector to support the country’s energy infrastructure and technological innovation. However, foreign influence poses a major threat,” said Brian Mackerer, group director, Government and Defense Sector, Craft. “Craft’s platform provides the DoE with a gold standard for due diligence and ensures that all investments will advance U.S. energy interests.”

Craft’s due diligence data and intelligence can be accessed by any U.S. government agency for faster risk assessments and to avoid duplicative work. Its platform will continue to be essential for the DoE and other government agencies to invest confidently and quickly on SBIR awards for important energy technology across batteries, electric grid infrastructure, and renewable and clean energy.

“Foreign influence is increasingly more difficult to detect and manual vetting processes can slow the rate of U.S. innovation and technological progress,” said a representative from the Department of Energy’s Office of Research, Technology & Economic Security. “Craft’s platform allows us to vet federal funds candidates easier and faster to ensure they are free of hostile foreign influence.”

Craft’s work with the DoE is the latest in a series of announcements with the U.S. government. In May 2024, Craft announced a $28 million, five-year agreement with the Secretary of the Air Force to bolster due diligence efforts across the Department of Defense. In March 2024, it announced a partnership with Strider Technologies, Inc. to enrich the data used to identify foreign influence within supply chains for federal government agencies and organizations engaged in government contracts.

“Our vision is for Craft to be the supply chain risk and resilience partner-of-choice for the U.S. government. This collaboration is another step forward in that direction,” said Mackerer.

For more information about Craft, visit www.craft.co or contact [email protected].

About Craft

Craft illuminates the path to global supply chain resilience. It empowers businesses to strengthen their supplier networks and supply chains with the industry’s most reliable and comprehensive data fabric and advanced risk mitigation engine. Craft’s user-friendly platform offers 360-degree visibility to explore and evaluate supplier networks, AI-driven insights to detect and mitigate disruptions, and collaborative tools to enhance supply chain strategies. Procurement and supply chain professionals can confidently navigate regulatory environments, adhere to ethical standards, and ensure business continuity. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, Craft assists commercial and governmental organizations worldwide in creating more resilient supply chains. For more information about Craft, visit www.craft.co.

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