Enabled Intelligence Wins $708M NGA AI Training Contract - Aerospace News
Washington-based National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has awarded Enabled Intelligence a substantial contract valued at up to $708 million over seven years for artificial intelligence data labeling services. The award, announced Monday, marks a significant expansion of AI-driven capabilities within the U.S. intelligence community’s geospatial operations.
Under the Sequoia program, Enabled Intelligence will provide critical data labeling services to train computer vision and machine learning systems used across the NGA enterprise and the broader Defense Department and Intelligence Community. This foundational work involves annotating imagery datasets to enable AI systems to discriminate among objects, including processing satellite imagery to identify targets of interest with greater accuracy and speed.
The contract represents the largest U.S. government AI data labeling project to date, according to NGA officials. The work directly supports Maven, the NGA’s flagship artificial intelligence initiative that applies machine learning capabilities to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors and platforms. The NGA assumed control of Maven from the Department of Defense in 2022.
“The SEQUOIA contract will support data labeling activities for geospatial intelligence AI and machine learning capabilities across multiple programs and directorates within the NGA enterprise,” according to the company’s announcement. The scope encompasses both DoD and broader Intelligence Community requirements for applying advanced computer vision to sensor and platform data.
Founded in 2020 and backed by venture capital, Enabled Intelligence specializes in AI data labeling for classified systems—a niche but increasingly critical capability as government agencies accelerate AI adoption. The startup brings specialized expertise in preparing sensitive datasets for machine learning applications in defense and intelligence contexts.
To execute the Sequoia program, Enabled Intelligence has assembled a team of established contractors and technology firms, including BAE Systems, Vantor (formerly Maxar Intelligence), and Whiteboard Federal. This partnership approach combines the startup’s AI data annotation expertise with established defense contractors’ experience managing classified programs and government relationships.
The NGA’s geospatial intelligence mission involves collecting imagery from satellites and aircraft, analyzing it with advanced algorithms, and disseminating resulting intelligence products—including 3D maps and processed imagery—to users across the federal government, including DoD leadership and military commanders. The Sequoia program’s data labeling work directly enhances these capabilities by training AI systems to automatically process and interpret increasingly complex imagery streams.
This contract award underscores the Pentagon and Intelligence Community’s commitment to leveraging artificial intelligence for mission-critical applications while highlighting the specialized infrastructure required to support large-scale AI development in classified environments.
Source ID: SRCE-2025-1764165874231-973