When GPS works, we barely think about it. But when GPS signals get jammed – whether by cheap transmitters, bad actors, or failing infrastructure – the digital map suddenly goes blank.
That vulnerability is exactly the problem Naga Varun Kanaparthy has been thinking about for years.
From a small lab in Lake Worth Beach, Kanaparthy, founder and CEO of imPatient Software, is building hardware designed to keep communication and location data flowing even when traditional systems fail.
“GPS gets jammed,” Kanaparthy told “Refresh Miami. That’s the main use case we’re focused on, because it’s going to become more and more common.”
It doesn’t take much to disrupt the system, he explained. A relatively inexpensive transmitter can overwhelm GPS signals across a wide area. And as that kind of interference becomes easier and cheaper to deploy, the consequences can ripple across everything from logistics networks to emergency response.
Kanaparthy’s answer is a new generation of tracking and communications hardware designed to work through alternative satellite networks and encrypted radio systems.
The company itself grew out of Kanaparthy’s earlier work in defense technology. Before launching imPatient Software, he built products and prototypes through contracting work with companies like Amazon Robotics.
Those early contracts helped support the company while Kanaparthy began developing his own hardware products. Today the team includes three engineers plus Kanaparthy working full time.
The core product under development, called Acorn, is a compact tracking and communications module that can transmit location and sensor data even in degraded environments. One early application involves search and rescue operations, where the system could track people, drones, or even working dogs in the field.
“You can track boats, for example, or even track your dog in the field and know whether it’s still alive,” Kanaparthy said. “During hurricanes and other emergency situations, a lot of 5G towers go down.”
The device could allow first responders to communicate through satellite links even when cellular networks fail after major storms. It could also automatically transmit location data, reducing the confusion that often slows down emergency coordination.
“Half the communication challenges are basic questions: What is it? Where are you? How do I get there?” he said. “If you use our trackers, your location is known every time.”
That kind of automatic location sharing can dramatically simplify response efforts. When someone presses a radio button, their position is instantly transmitted along with the message.
Other concepts under development push even further into hybrid hardware territory. One experimental project integrates the company’s communications system into a ballistic helmet developed alongside a defense technology collaborator. The helmet uses a 3D-printed ballistic polymer structure and could eventually integrate radios, sensors, and even biometric monitoring directly into the gear worn by first responders or soldiers.
For now, imPatient Software remains a small but ambitious startup. The company, which presented at this year’s Florida Venture Capital Conference, has bootstrapped roughly $100,000 so far and is currently raising a $3 million pre-seed round, targeting a valuation between $10 million and $20 million.
If the funding comes together, the next step will be turning prototypes into scalable products – a transition Kanaparthy knows is harder than it looks.
“It’s cool to build a couple of great demos,” he said. “But demos are demos. And then there’s production.”
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I am a Miami-based technology researcher and writer with a passion for sharing stories about the South Florida tech ecosystem. I particularly enjoy learning about GovTech startups, cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence, and innovators that leverage technology to transform society for the better. Always open for pitches via Twitter @rileywk or www.RileyKaminer.com.
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