Ascent Integrated Tech

Ascent Integrated Tech develops WearTAK, a wrist-worn end-user device (EUD) for the Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) ecosystem. The device passively monitors operator physiology — heart rate, skin temperature, SpO2, cold stress, major trauma indicators and exertion — and raises manual or automatic alerts to command over existing TAK infrastructure. Beyond vitals, WearTAK supports roughly 65 warfighter-driven workflows including MIL-STD-2525D point dropping with voice dictation, "Bloodhound" bearing-and-range guidance to received map items, quick chat replies, and microphone-based acoustic sensing for gunshot detection, with UAS detection described as forthcoming. It integrates natively with Cursor-on-Target (CoT), uses AES-256 in-transit encryption, and is designed to run without plugins, server modifications or external servers, with data not retained on the device.

The company's earlier product focus was human-performance technology for operators in hazardous environments, including sensor integration for hazardous respirators used by firefighters, industrial operators and avionic mechanics, with a respirator- and OEM-agnostic approach covering optical, environmental and biometric sensing plus location and movement monitoring. Research Park describes the company as building a unifying dashboard for high-intensity small-unit tactics, providing insight into the health, environment and location of firefighters, SWAT teams and warfighters.

Current development work is driven by government customers: DEVCOM C5ISR requested integration of gunshot and UAS detection (a gunshot-detection MVP is complete, with model refinement alongside another AFRL-funded team), and DEVCOM CBC requested MOPP haptic timers and NFC-patch accountability workflows, including tapping CBRN filters to start filter timers. WearTAK is also described as integrated with TAK GPT, including a medic variant.

Founding story

Ascent Integrated Tech was founded by Paul Couston (also rendered Coulston) and Alex Gorsuch, and grew out of the University of Illinois Research Park's EnterpriseWorks incubator, initially addressing the gap that hazardous respirators costing up to $10,000 per unit could carry less sensor technology than a $100 smartwatch.

Business model

Ascent sells and fields WearTAK devices and associated software to defense, federal, allied-military and public-safety organizations, and has funded product development substantially through non-dilutive competitive government awards and contracts alongside venture equity.

Product fieldings with government and public-safety units, supplemented by non-dilutive federal award funding including SBIR and challenge-prize programs.

Traction

The company reports 682 fieldings across Department of War, federal, allied partner and public-safety organizations, and $10.25 million in Department of War funding. Documented deployments include 60 WearTAK watches across the 377th Security Forces Group at Kirtland AFB, use by the DepSecWar executive protection team, and a joint airborne operation with the 88th Air Base Wing in which medical teams located an injured Army jumper and provided care 40% faster at night. Consulting partner Eva Garland reports the company secured more than $7.3 million in non-dilutive competitive funding and that its technology supports hundreds of operators in the field. Earlier traction included active pilots with more than 17 major metropolitan fire departments.

Latest developments

Ongoing co-development with DEVCOM C5ISR on acoustic gunshot and UAS detection (gunshot-detection MVP complete, model being refined with another AFRL-funded team) and with DEVCOM CBC on MOPP haptic timers and NFC-patch accountability and CBRN filter timers. The company reports integration with TAK GPT including a medic variant and cumulative Department of War funding of $10.25 million.