What it is
Shift5 builds an operational intelligence platform for U.S. defense and transportation systems such as aircraft, vehicles and fleets. Its platform turns operational technology data, including serial bus traffic and RF data, into insights for performance and cyber resilience. The company was founded in 2019 by former officers who helped stand up U.S. Army Cyber Command and pioneered modern weapons system cyber assessments. Josh Lospinoso is listed as founder and Toby Magsig is President and CEO. More is on its company page.
Products
- Cyber/EW: analyzes serial bus traffic and RF data to flag threats in near real time.
- Predictive Maintenance: converts serial bus data into maintenance insights.
- Fleet Compliance: processes commercial aircraft security logs to identify incidents and verify aviation regulatory compliance.
- Research: expert-led security assessments and tooling for critical assets.
Details are on the platform page.
Scale and traction
Shift5 reports $185 million in venture capital funding and more than 100 full-time employees across five time zones. Its site highlights a $99 million, five-year U.S. Army Next Generation Command and Control contract and partnerships with companies including Anduril and Boeing. It is headquartered at 1100 Wilson Blvd, Suite 2100, in Rosslyn.
Careers and engaging with Shift5
The careers page lists engineering, data, sales, operations and mission roles. Most are based at the Rosslyn headquarters, some are listed as remote or HQ, and mission operations specialist roles are based at Fort Carson, Fort Hood and San Diego. Listed benefits include multiple medical plans, unlimited time off, 12 weeks of paid parental leave and a 401(k) with employer match. Partners, customers and press can reach the company through its contact page, at info@shift5.io, or by phone at +1 703 810 3320.
Why it matters in the DMV ecosystem
Shift5 is an example of a venture-backed defense technology company built in Northern Virginia by founders with military cyber backgrounds. For founders in defense tech and transportation, it shows a path from specialized government expertise to large program contracts and commercial aviation customers, and its partnerships with primes and other defense startups show how such companies work within the defense industrial base. It is also a regional employer for engineers interested in operational technology and cybersecurity.
