When it comes to tracking sanctioned vessels, much of the intelligence that goes into those missions comes from space.

Take Hawkeye 360, a defense tech unicorn that recently closed both a series E funding round and an acquisition.

Hawkeye's satellites collect radio frequency, or RF, signal data, which can track anomalous activity from

dark vessels or ships that have turned off their AIS signals.

Hawkeyes data then combines with imagery and open source intelligence modalities to create

what CEO and founder John Serafini calls, quote, turnkey intelligence products that

government customers can use.

These are vessels that normally have their AIS signal on, but have turned it off for whatever

reason. Oftentimes they turn it off for illicit purposes that they don't want to be tracked.

And so when they do so, they're still emitting signals. Oftentimes, X-Band or S-Bam radars or push-a-talk radio systems or other beacons within that vessel.

And we're able to uniquely identify them, associate them with a Hawkeye identifier, and maintain chain of custody of those vessels, and then track them into perpetuity and start to extract intelligence

about what they're doing. That occurs all over the world. It occurs in places like the Caribbean,

but it also occurs in the Arabian Gulf and the South China Sea, everywhere there's ocean.

Serafini not confirming the company is involved in these Venezuela dark fleet tracking activities.

He makes it a point not to talk about customers, but does note that Hawkeye doesn't have many

comps in the market. He won't comment on a possible IPO either, but this is one of the names

investors should watch, heading into a year that could see a flurry of defense and space tech

IPOs, not the least of which, possibly SpaceX.

On this episode, Hawkeye 360's John Serafini on the acquisition of innovative signals analysis,

how policy is changing the defense tech landscape and what he is watching in 2026.

I'm Morgan Brennan, and this is Manifest Space.

Joining me now, John Serafini, founder and CEO of Hawkeye 360, and John, it's great to speak with you.

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