State supports 510 jobs, focus on growing advanced tech and innovation sectors

SANTA FE — Economic Development New Mexico (EDNM) approved more than $12 million in job-training funds in the first quarter of FY27, July through September 2026.

The companies awarded funding represent many industries, with a particular focus on advanced science and technology — where New Mexico holds the strongest competitive advantage. The money comes from the state’s Job Training Incentive Program (JTIP), which reimburses companies a minimum of 50% of trainee wages for up to six months.

Of this quarter’s 33 JTIP awardees, more than half are rooted in these future-defining industries — quantum technologies, advanced energy technologies and aerospace and defense systems — reflecting how these sectors are already expanding and hiring in our state.

This quarter, JTIP will help companies hire more than 500 New Mexican trainees and interns for new positions. Additional funding will reimburse a percentage of training to upskill current employees through the program’s Step Up initiative. JTIP’s incentives are designed to encourage companies to hire New Mexicans, with a higher rate of reimbursement for employees in rural areas and for recent graduates of New Mexico higher education and technical schools.

“New Mexico is becoming the ‘next frontier’ for advanced technology and innovation, particularly in future-forward sectors like quantum, fusion, space tech, aerospace and defense,” said EDNM Cabinet Secretary Rob Black. “Today’s announcement is a snapshot of the companies building the economy of the future here in New Mexico.”

Companies approved for JTIP this quarter are located in Albuquerque, Bloomfield, Corrales, Los Alamos, Lovington, Nambe, Rio Rancho, Sandoval County, Santa Fe and Taos. In addition to the industries mentioned above, the program supported several businesses that are excellent examples of the creativity and manufacturing we are proud to continue to foster in the state.              

Apaluma Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $55,287 in July for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $47. Apaluma provides regulatory technology for government agencies responsible for managing critical environmental and natural resource data.

Atolla Tech Inc., dba Kytyra, Albuquerque, was awarded $69,890 in August for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $60. Kytyra develops advanced laser sensing systems for counter-unmanned aircraft (counter-UAS) applications. This is the company’s first JTIP award.

Bandelier Technologies, Inc., Santa Fe, was awarded $117,616 in August for 3 trainees at an average hourly wage of $68 and $33,462 in September for 1 trainee at an hourly wage of $59. Bandelier is a veteran-owned deep technology company that develops quantum sensing hardware integrated with artificial intelligence for defense and critical infrastructure applications.

BlackVe, Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $637,286 for 17 trainees at an average hourly wage of $65. BlackVe develops and manufactures multi-mission spacecraft, using advanced design and manufacturing technologies to accelerate the development, production, integration and operation of satellites.

The Boeing Company, Albuquerque, was awarded $726,787 in July for 20 trainees at an average hourly wage of $63. Boeing is a global aerospace company that develops, manufactures and services commercial aircraft, defense systems and space technologies.

Castelion Corporation, Sandoval County, was awarded $1,873,486 in September for 36 trainees at an average hourly wage of $72. Castelion is a U.S. defense company specializing in hypersonic technologies and advanced manufacturing. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

C&J Equipment Manufacturing, Bloomfield, was awarded $3,444,212 in July for 277 trainees at an average hourly wage of $24. C&J Equipment designs and manufactures custom mission-critical structures, modular equipment enclosures, process skids, structural steel systems and fabricated infrastructure for the energy, technology, utility and industrial sectors.

Discovery 2 Scale, Nambe, was awarded $621,584 in September for 12 trainees at an average hourly wage of $63. Discovery 2 Scale is an advanced materials technology accelerating the transition of next-generation materials from laboratory discovery to qualified, deployable products. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

Fuse Federal Enterprise LLC, Albuquerque, was awarded $320,619 in September for 12 trainees at an average hourly wage of $43. Fuse is an advanced technology company developing pulsed-power and fusion technologies. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

Growvera Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $112,015 in August for 5 trainees at an average hourly wage of $40. Growvera designs and manufactures plant moisture sensors for wildfire risk mitigation. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

Halflife Digital, Albuquerque, was awarded $44,220 in August for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $40. Halflife Digital is a creative production company specializing in film, television, commercial and digital media production.

Halo Materials Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $162,408 in July for 6 trainees at an average hourly wage of $48. Halo Materials is an advanced materials company developing a proprietary process to produce battery-grade graphite from abundant domestic hydrocarbon feedstocks.

HarvestIQ Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $92,770 in July for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $80. HarvestIQ is an agricultural technology company that develops software solutions to help farmers, agricultural advisors and commodity brokers manage risk, optimize revenue and improve operational decision-making. 

Hoonify Technologies Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $158,119 for 4 trainees and an additional $41,253 in September for 1 trainee at an average hourly wage of $68. Hoonify awarded an additional Hoonify Technologies provides software solutions to companies needing advanced modeling and simulation and/or artificial intelligence solutions.

IDEAS-TEK, Albuquerque, was awarded $155,940 in July and $118,760 in September for 8 trainees at an average wage of $68. IDEAS-TEK is a minority-owned small business that develops and manufactures advanced computing, data processing, networking and power systems for commercial and government space applications.

Ideum Inc., Corrales, was awarded $77,396 in July for 4 trainees at an average wage of $29. Ideum is a creative technology company that designs interactive exhibits, digital experiences and collaborative hardware for museums, educational institutions and major corporations nationwide.

Indica Labs LLC, Albuquerque, was awarded $502,226 in August for 18 trainees at an average hourly wage of $44 and 5 interns at an average hourly wage of $22. Indica Labs develops digital pathology software solutions that support pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms, research labs and medical institutions.

IonQ Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $160,951 in August for 3 trainees at an average hourly wage of $93. IonQ is focused on quantum computing, quantum networking and quantum sensing to support applications across national security, finance, healthcare, cybersecurity, logistics, materials science, aerospace and other high-impact sectors.

Kaktus Brewing Company Inc., Bernalillo, was awarded $14,362 in September for 1 trainee at an hourly wage of $19. Kaktus Brewing is a small-batch brewery and full-service kitchen, specializing in artisanal pizza. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

KiloNewton LLC, Albuquerque, was awarded a Step Up grant of $5,726 in August to upskill 13 current employees. KiloNewton specializing in technical and engineering analysis and custom software design for the renewable energy sector.

Mantis Space, Albuquerque, was awarded $34,320 in July and $105,248 in September for 23 trainees at an average hourly wage of $91. The company was also awarded $3,537 in Step Up funds to upskill 3 employees. Mantis Space is an aerospace and advanced energy company focused on developing orbital power infrastructure to support satellites, space habitats and future lunar operations.

MINDSET Integrated Co., Albuquerque, was awarded $57,060 in September for 5 trainees at an average hourly wage of $49. MINDSET provides objective analysis of brain health, including advanced imaging techniques, expert review, and case consultation.

New Mexico Consortium (NMC), Los Alamos, was awarded $27,379 in July for 1 trainee at an hourly wage of $45.68. NMC is a nonprofit research organization that advances statewide research and innovation by developing collaborative research programs, supporting scientific talent and fostering technology commercialization and startup development.

Paradise Power Company Inc. (PPC Solar), Taos, was awarded $12,277 in Step Up funds to upskill 18 employees in July. PPC Solar specializes in the design, installation and maintenance of solar electric systems, energy storage solutions and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Particle Labs USA, Albuquerque, was awarded $441,618 in July for 8 trainees at an average hourly wage of $96. Particle Labs USA designs and manufactures next-generation, compact, modular electron accelerator systems built to be high-performance, cost-effective, and easy to integrate into existing operational environments. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

Redwire Space LLC dba LoadPath LLC, Albuquerque, was awarded $356,470 in August for 10 trainees at an average hourly wage of $63. LoadPath specializes in the design, analysis, testing, manufacturing and delivery of advanced aerospace engineering products and services.

Rio Grande Community Development Corporation (RGCDC), Albuquerque, was awarded $50,000 in September for 5 trainees at an average hourly wage of $19. RGCDC is a nonprofit making substantial contributions to the South Valley community and the greater Albuquerque region. This is the organization’s first JTIP application.

Securin Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $35,064 in August for 1 trainee at an hourly wage of $61 and $101,500 in Step Up funds to upskill 20 current employees. Securin is a cybersecurity company that provides AI-enabled security solutions to help organizations identify, prioritize and remediate cyber risks before they can be exploited.

Serbin Machining Inc., Albuquerque, was awarded $28,617 in September for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $30. Serbin Machining is a precision-machining company providing CNC milling and turning, precision machining, prototyping and production work.

Social Enterprise Associates LLC dba UpSpring Associates, Santa Fe, was awarded $56,578 in August for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $38. UpSpring is a certified B Corp and virtual consulting firm providing a specialized financial and strategic advisory practice.

Southwest Public Policy Institute (SPPI), Rio Rancho, was awarded $38,430 in August for 1 trainee at an hourly wage of $65. SPPI is a nonprofit research organization advancing evidence-based public policy that promotes economic opportunity, financial inclusion, government transparency and improved quality of life throughout the American Southwest. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

TD’s Brew & BBQ, Lovington, was awarded $56,703 in September for 5 trainees at an average hourly wage of $21. TD’s Brew & BBQ manufactures, warehouses and distributes BBQ & grilling products. This is the company’s first JTIP application.

Tumbleroot Brewing LLC, Santa Fe, was awarded $18,830 in August for 2 trainees at an average hourly wage of $20. Tumbleroot is a craft beverage manufacturer and operates a brewery and distillery, tasting rooms and a production facility that supports brewing, distillation, packaging, quality control and wholesale distribution.

Learn more about JTIP at edd.newmexico.gov/JTIP.

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EDNM is creating pathways to prosperity for all New Mexicans. Our core mission is to improve the lives of New Mexico families by increasing economic opportunities and providing a place for businesses to thrive. EDNM’s programs directly support this mission by funding workforce training and infrastructure that fosters business growth, helping every community develop a prosperous economy.