Defense Tech Firm Orion Edge Picks Tampa for HQ, Bringing High-Wage Jobs and a New Talent Pipeline

TAMPA, FL — November 2025 | Another high-growth company is betting on Tampa Bay’s future. Colorado-based defense technology firm Orion Edge Group is relocating its headquarters to Hillsborough County, committing roughly $20 million in investment and at least 20 new high-skill jobs in its first phase — with local reporting putting the near-term range closer to 20–25 positions as projects ramp up.

Orion Edge develops tactical electronic warfare systems — compact hardware and software that allow U.S. forces to disrupt and deny the communications and navigation networks of adversary drones and other uncrewed systems across multiple domains.

The company is moving into an approximately 2,300‑square‑foot facility on Benjamin Road in Tampa’s Town ’N’ Country area, shifting its base of operations from Colorado while keeping some production activity in other states.

A Different Kind of Growth Story for Tampa Bay

Most headlines about Tampa Bay’s expansion center on new grocery anchors, destination dining and mixed-use retail. Orion Edge adds another dimension: high-security, defense-focused technology that plugs directly into the region’s emerging tech corridor.

The firm’s systems are built for contested environments where the electromagnetic spectrum itself becomes the battlefield. With the touch of a button, Orion Edge’s equipment can sever the links drones and other uncrewed systems rely on to coordinate and navigate — a niche that sits at the intersection of hardware, software, AI and national security.

It’s precisely the kind of “behind-the-scenes” innovation ExtendedReach Florida has been tracking: not a consumer brand on the corner, but a specialized player whose presence speaks volumes about where Tampa’s economy is heading.

Why Tampa, Why Now

For Orion Edge, the decision to relocate wasn’t just about sunshine. Company leaders point to several factors that tipped the scales toward Tampa Bay:

• Proximity to key customers. MacDill Air Force Base is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Orion Edge already collaborates with SOCOM via the SOFWERX innovation hub on advanced electronic warfare projects, making a Tampa-area base a natural fit.
• A favorable business climate. Florida’s research and development tax credits, along with Hillsborough County’s incentives, helped make the move financially attractive — including support coordinated through the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council.
• A growing defense and AI ecosystem. Recent analysis of Tampa Bay’s tech sector highlights the region as a rising AI security and defense hub, with Orion Edge now listed among the companies anchoring that story.

Orion Edge co-founder and CEO John Mueller, a former U.S. Army space and special technical operations engineer, has been clear that Tampa offers both the mission alignment and the workforce to support long-term growth. In an interview, he described the company’s products as “stuff we wish we had in the field when we were still in active duty,” underscoring their roots in real-world operational needs.

What Orion Edge Actually Builds

This isn’t a traditional “defense contractor with an office” story. Orion Edge’s engineering teams are known for pushing out low size, weight, power and cost (SWaP‑C) solutions built to operate at the very edge of the battlespace.

Key systems include:

• ARC Suite (Autonomous RF Control). A lightweight, modular electronic warfare system that can be vehicle-mounted, man‑portable, or integrated into existing platforms to quietly jam and disrupt hostile signals — including UAVs, ground robots and surface vessels — while keeping a low probability of detection.
• GEAR, IRIS and ECLIPSE. A family of tools focused on Counter‑GNSS, Counter‑LTE and Counter‑Mesh effects. Together, they can deny satellite navigation, disrupt LTE-based data backhaul and identify mesh networks that adversaries use to coordinate swarms of uncrewed systems.

For Tampa Bay, what matters isn’t just the technology itself, but what it signals: high-value R&D work and advanced manufacturing choosing to land in the same region that’s already seeing outsized growth in fintech, cybersecurity and real estate–driven development.

High-Wage Jobs — and a Direct Link to USF

From the start, Orion Edge’s Tampa move has been framed as a jobs story as much as a tech story. Public announcements and follow‑up reporting consistently point to:

• 20 new positions committed as part of the relocation agreement
• 20–25 roles anticipated initially, with additional hiring planned in 2026 as contracts and lab capacity scale up

The roles themselves are squarely in the high-wage, high‑skill category, including:

• Electrical and electronics engineers
• Computer and software engineers
• Radio frequency (RF) and wireless design engineers
• Senior electrical engineers and specialized RF power management roles
• Follow‑on hiring in finance, administration and operations as the headquarters grows

What stands out for Tampa is how clearly USF shows up in the narrative. In local coverage, Mueller specifically cites the University of South Florida’s engineering and cybersecurity programs as a key talent pipeline, and a recent two‑minute business brief notes that the company is targeting USF graduates for many of its initial hires.

For graduates who want to stay in the region, this is the kind of opportunity that hasn’t always been on the menu:

• Work that ties directly into national security and defense innovation
• Hands‑on experience with RF systems, embedded hardware, AI‑enabled signal processing and rapid prototyping
• The chance to collaborate with veterans and engineers in a flat, founder-led organization where technical teams help shape strategy.

The Bigger Picture: Tampa’s Emerging Defense & Tech Corridor

Zooming out, Orion Edge fits neatly into a broader storyline we’ve been following at ExtendedReach Florida: Tampa Bay as a multi‑sector growth engine, where traditional real estate and retail projects share the stage with advanced technology and defense.

Recent research into the region’s tech ecosystem highlights:

• A defense and security economy generating more than $20 billion in impact, with 80,000+ veterans in the workforce
• A dense cluster of accelerators and innovation hubs connecting companies to capital and customers
• Increasing crossover between USF’s research footprint, MacDill‑based commands, and private-sector firms like Orion Edge

Put simply, defense tech is no longer a niche sideline — it’s becoming part of Tampa Bay’s core economic identity, alongside logistics, hospitality, healthcare and real estate.

What to Watch Next

In the coming year, several storylines will be worth watching:

• Hiring pace. How quickly Orion Edge fills its first wave of positions — and how many of those hires come from USF and other local programs.
• Facility growth. Whether the initial Benjamin Road footprint is a stepping stone to a larger lab or light‑manufacturing presence in Hillsborough County.
• Cluster effects. If other electronic warfare, autonomy or drone‑related firms follow Orion Edge’s lead, deepening Tampa Bay’s role as a defense innovation hub.

For now, the takeaway is straightforward: Tampa didn’t just win another office relocation — it landed a piece of the next wave of defense technology, and with it, a fresh set of high‑tech career paths for local talent.