Asio Technologies is not a typical start-up.
Founded in 2003 by two brothers frustrated with the military technology they were using, Asio has grown over the past two decades to supply force-multiplier solutions (ways of enhancing gear already invented) to militaries worldwide.
While many analysts once thought that air force platforms would win future wars, the current wars in Gaza and Ukraine have proven that ground troops are still essential. And with a digital world, fighting forces need the most advanced tools at their disposal to execute and succeed in their missions.
Based in Kfar Saba with fewer than 50 employees – many of whom are reservists who understand the dynamic battlefield – Asio is adding a disruptive capability to the tactical domain.
“We are a small company with a huge impact,” the company’s CEO and founder, Tomer Malchi, said.
Asio’s battle-hardened and operationally proven technology has been in the hands of IDF troops and commanders for nearly a decade, enabling the company to provide necessary upgrades and changes for soldiers in the field.
The company’s flagship, Orion System, also known as OLAR in the IDF, was first deployed to the Golani Brigade in 2018. On October 7, it was in the hands of frontline forces and deployed in thousands, and since then, adoption has expanded dramatically across the army’s tactical units.
Orion replaces traditional printed maps, enabling soldiers to navigate using a rugged, Android-based device to obtain a 3D interactive operational picture.
The system integrates advanced capabilities, including terrain analysis, line-of-sight calculations, and navigation, as well as friendly and hostile combat positions, onto a layered map.
With advanced software – including electro-optics (a system that involves electrical signals to change or control light) and data fused from sensors – the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate utilizes Orion to receive interactive, real-time battlefield estimates, enabling commanders to plan and execute missions in complex environments.
And in conflict zones like Gaza or Ukraine, troops that rely solely on GPS for navigation are at risk of being stuck due to potential disruptions or jamming. With self-positioning and optical navigation, Asio’s technology is jam-proof.
Say goodbye to traditional maps
“Every field commander has the Orion,” Malchi said, from squad, platoon, to brigade commanders.
“During the war, troops gave feedback about the scale of their maneuvering. We understand that training for reservists can be time-consuming,” he continued. “Our technology, however, can be introduced without training – soldiers can go straight into combat with it.”
“Connectivity is a plus, but in the modern battlefield, it can get jammed,” Malchi said.
“Our solution works both offline and online. Independence is critical, and navigation is like life support for troops. If it doesn’t work, you are struck. It’s that critical.”
According to Malchi, Orion is currently being prototyped in the United States Army as well as other international defense giants.
Along with Orion, Asio provides troops with a lightweight wearable tactical augmentation system called Lynx (or Maayan in the IDF), which overlays map-based intelligence directly onto the operator’s goggles to provide real-time target positions.
Together, the two create a fully integrated tactical suite for ground forces. For Malchi, the safety and efficacy of the ground forces are the most important.
“We focus on bringing innovation so that troops can do their work and be tactically independent,” he said, adding that the company’s goal was to “make their day-to-day life on the battlefield clearer.”
“We want to deliver the right amount of data, without any overkill,” Malchi said.