As CEO of Aegis Terra Inc., Stephan defines corporate strategy, product vision, and growth execution for low-SWaP communications and edge data transport solutions supporting defense and commercial markets. He leads cross-functional engineering, sales, and operations teams; drives federal capture and partnership strategy; and aligns product development with real-world operator requirements to scale revenue, strengthen acquisition readiness, and expand mission-critical deployment capabilities.
Stephan Merlics
CEO
Stephan Merlics serves as the Chief Executive Officer, founder of Aegis Terra and defense technology executive with over 20 years of defense business and Special Operations leadership experience spanning advanced communications, aviation, and federal market strategy. He has built and scaled early-stage technology ventures from concept through prototype to full-rate production, driving rapid revenue capture and enterprise adoption.
As Founder and CEO of Applied Technology Innovations and later Co-Founder & CEO of Aegis Terra Inc., he established cash-positive operations within 30 days of launch, accelerated product development cycles to under six months, and positioned organizations for multimillion-dollar annual recurring revenue through disciplined execution and trusted defense relationships
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Previously, he held senior business development and revenue leadership roles at Tomahawk Robotics and L3Harris, managing $50M–$75M+ portfolios and leading capture efforts across USSOCOM, JSOC, USAF, and federal agencies. In parallel, he serves in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and Special Operations community as an Instructor Pilot and senior leader, overseeing large-scale training, readiness, and mission execution for organizations exceeding 300 personnel. He holds an MBA from the University of Florida and maintains an active Top Secret/SCI clearance.
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A Veteran Owned Company
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