Intelligence Assessment
UNCLASSIFIED 2026-03-09 MARFORPAC-NS-2026-0309
Verified — Government databases, SEC filings, RFI postings
Entity Store — LinkedIn engagement records, position data, post content (1.93M entities)
Company-Reported — Website, press releases, LinkedIn company page
Inferred — Analytical judgment from multiple sources
Recommendation
MEET
Confidence
HIGH
Northslope Technologies is not making a cold approach. Matt Leonard and TJ share a professional history at GDC4S, where both worked on the Command Post of the Future (CPOF). LinkedIn profiles Palantir's Target Workbench is already confirmed operational in Project Dynamis live-fire exercises. Arlon Smith posts Northslope builds mission-specific applications on that platform as Palantir's exclusive "Vanguard: Elite" partner. press release palantir.com partner page The question is not whether to meet, but what specifically they can deploy on the existing Dynamis stack.

1. What Northslope Does

Product & delivery model

Northslope is a Palantir application builder. They employ Forward Deployed Engineers who embed with customer teams to build mission-specific software on Palantir's platforms (AIP, Foundry, Gotham). They hold the status of Palantir's "first and only Vanguard: Elite partner," meaning platform endorsement and co-marketing.

Their operating model mirrors Palantir's own FDE model: engineers deploy to the customer site, rapidly prototype solutions using the Palantir stack, and iterate with end users until production-ready. This is not a product company — they build bespoke applications per engagement. entity store — 87 of 97 titled FDE or variant

Verified external signals: Active UK Defence Forward Deployed Engineer job postings on Ashby and Built In, indicating active pursuit of UK defence work. Ashby, Built In Member of the ADS Group, the UK's defence industry trade body. ADS Group Their website lists supply chain and logistics as verticals but names no specific products or delivered capabilities.

Practical implication for MARFORPAC: Dynamis already runs Palantir Target Workbench (see Section 5). Northslope could build operational applications on top of that deployment without requiring a new platform acquisition. Northslope has not publicly claimed specific MARFORPAC-relevant capabilities; the value would be bespoke application development. inferred

2. Company Profile

Founded
2024, Denver CO company website
Staff
97 LinkedIn profiles with current Northslope positions entity store
Composition
87 of 97 current employees hold FDE or FDE-adjacent titles (incl. FDE-Recruiting, Incoming FDE). 10 non-FDE roles: CCO, Strategic Accounts, Defence & NatSec, Finance, People Ops, Business Ops, Global Client Strategy, Recruiting. entity store, 97 position records
Palantir Alumni
26 of 97 current employees have confirmed prior Palantir positions in entity store (detailed enrichment now available for 88 of 97). Roles span FDE, Deployment Strategist, Technical Lead, Recruiting Lead, Group Engineering Lead, and Commercial Lead. Company claim of "founded and built by former Palantir FDEs" is directionally supported. entity store, linkedin_position company website
Funding
$7M offering ($6.8M sold) SEC Form D, Jun 2025; $22M Series A announced Business Wire press release, Jan 2026
Investors
Friends & Family Capital (Colin Anderson, Palantir's former CFO), Goldcrest Capital (Adam Ross) press release
CAGE / UEI
9W7Z3 | ST1QDAAL4F21 self-reported, not verified from SAM.gov
NAICS
541512 (Computer Systems Design Services), 541690 (Other Scientific & Technical Consulting) self-reported
Federal Awards
None found FPDS/USAspending search

Growth Trajectory

Hiring start dates from LinkedIn position data show rapid scaling: 11 employees through 2024, then 73 hires in 2025, and 15 already in Jan-Feb 2026. The defense vertical is brand new: Amanda (NatSec Lead) joined Nov 2025; Ben Holloway (Defence & NatSec Head) joined Feb 2025. entity store, linkedin_position start dates

3. Key Personnel

Why each person matters for this meeting
Matt Leonard
Forward Deployed Engineer (Jan 2025) entity store
  • GDC4S: Combat Software Engineer (4.5 yr) — deployed CPOF (Command Post of the Future) LinkedIn profile
  • Palantir Technologies: FDE (3.75 yr, 2011–2015) LinkedIn profile
  • Pinterest: Technical Lead Legal Engineering (LE data requests, CSAM, EU terrorism compliance) LinkedIn profile
  • Facebook: Senior SWE LinkedIn profile
Why he matters: Matt and TJ share a GDC4S/CPOF professional history — TJ was a Senior Field Systems Engineer fielding CPOF to Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan during the same era. This is a pre-existing professional relationship, not a cold LinkedIn connection. Matt's engineering background spans the exact intersection of tactical C2 software and Palantir platform expertise that Dynamis requires. LinkedIn profiles Gemini Deep Research
Amanda Shaver Gurman
FDE & Defense/NatSec Lead, US & Asia Pacific (Nov 2025) entity store
  • C4ADS: Head of Commercial Partnerships — integrated C4ADS investigative data into Palantir Foundry LinkedIn profile
  • Georgetown University adjunct: taught OSINT/PAI methods LinkedIn profile
  • Stimson Center, State Dept, VP's speechwriting, Senate LinkedIn profile
Why she matters: Her C4ADS background is directly relevant to MARFORPAC's counter-malign-influence mission. C4ADS specializes in illicit network analysis using open-source data — the same analytical tradecraft MARFORPAC applies to the Indo-Pacific. Her experience integrating investigative data into Palantir Foundry is exactly the skill needed to build applications on the Dynamis Palantir deployment. Her "Asia Pacific" title scope suggests Northslope is specifically targeting this AOR. inferred from role + background
Ben Holloway
Head of Global Defence & National Security (Feb 2025) entity store
  • Royal Navy, 18 years: Head of Data & Navy Applications, Head of Data & Platforms LinkedIn profile
  • OC Combat Service Support Squadron, Commando Helicopter Force LinkedIn profile
  • Logistics Manager, HMS Victorious (submarine) LinkedIn profile
  • Afghanistan contractor-support coordination LinkedIn profile
Why he matters: Royal Navy data integration leadership is directly relevant to FVEY coalition interoperability — the exact problem TJ's PACT 2026 panel addresses ("AI-Driven C6ISR: The Future of Allied Integration"). His submarine logistics background maps to contested logistics in EABO. A senior UK military officer leading defense sales for a US startup signals they're serious about coalition markets, not just domestic DoD. inferred from background + TJ's posted PACT agenda
Bill Ward
Founder & CEO entity store
  • Palantir Technologies: Business Operations & Strategy (Nov 2014 – Jun 2018) entity store, position record
  • Biofire: COO (Feb 2020 – Sep 2023) entity store
  • Enigma Technologies: Head of Field Product / CPG Industry Vertical Lead (Jul 2018 – Sep 2019) entity store
  • Earlier: Obama for America (data/analytics), Morgan Stanley (equity syndicate) entity store
Why he matters: His Palantir role was operations/strategy, not engineering — indicating he understands how to structure FDE deployments at scale. The Biofire COO stint (diagnostics startup) shows he can run a growth-stage company. His investors are Palantir's former CFO and first independent board director, suggesting deep institutional support from Palantir's own ecosystem. inferred

4. Relationship Intelligence

LinkedIn engagement analysis from Cruzam Entity Store
Source: Cruzam Entity Store — 1.08M engagement records across 74K posts, captured via LinkedIn API entity store

Shared History: Matt Leonard & TJ

Matt Leonard served as a Combat Software Engineer at GDC4S (General Dynamics C4 Systems) for 4.5 years, deploying the Command Post of the Future (CPOF) — a tactical C2 visualization system. TJ was a Senior Field Systems Engineer for GDC4S during the same era, fielding and training Marines on CPOF in Iraq and Afghanistan. This shared technological lineage means Northslope's engineering lead inherently understands the tactical data visualization challenges TJ has spent his career solving. LinkedIn profiles Gemini Deep Research

Engagement Network

Matt Leonard (Northslope FDE)
  ├──  8 engagements TJ (MCTSSA Senior Principal Engineer)
  ├──  4 engagements Bob Sholtis (MARFORPAC CIO)
  ├──  3 engagements Bernice Kissinger
  ├──  2 engagements Arlon Smith (Project Dynamis Director)
  └──  1 engagement  Tim Miller (ODME Solutions)
Bill Ward (Northslope CEO)
  ├──  5 engagements TJ
  └──  1 engagement  Bob Sholtis
Source: Cruzam Entity Store linkedin_engagement. Counts are cumulative lifetime engagements on captured posts, not limited to capture window.
Assessment: This is not a cold approach. Matt and TJ share a professional history going back to GDC4S/CPOF. Matt has actively engaged with TJ, Bob Sholtis, and Arlon Smith's Dynamis-related content. Northslope is pursuing MARFORPAC through established relationships, not blind outreach.

5. The Dynamis Technology Stack

What's already operational — from Col. Arlon Smith's LinkedIn posts

Arlon Smith (Director, Project Dynamis, HQMC) has 1,716 posts in our entity store. The following are direct quotes from his highest-engagement posts about the Dynamis technology stack: entity store, linkedin_post

"We closed the gap at machine speed with Anduril's Lattice Data Mesh and Palantir's Target Workbench, forging a resilient, interoperable data fabric that transforms isolated tools into a unified, lethal kill chain." Arlon Smith, urn:li:activity:7425880347319447552 (181 reactions)
"This cutting-edge device integrates multiple existing USMC fire support, C2, and other systems across air and ground domains into a single, unified multi-domain MAGTF C2 prototype solution... the exceptional leadership of... Fritz Doran, and Thomas J. and the dedicated team at MCTSSA." Arlon Smith, urn:li:activity:7377437081746292736 (445 reactions) — TJ named directly
"Excited to introduce our next-generation high-compute edge node — the MAGTF C2 Prototype... A small, lethal Stand-in Force that operates as the leading edge of maritime defense-in-depth — sensing, making sense, and holding targets at risk with an 'any shooter' mindset." Arlon Smith, urn:li:activity:7421353278136860672 (242 reactions)

Confirmed Technology Stack

Palantir Target Workbench
Kill chain integration, weapons-quality data fusion Arlon post
Anduril Lattice Data Mesh
Resilient joint mesh network across domains Arlon post
MAGTF C2 Prototype (MCP)
High-compute edge node, multi-domain C2 convergence Arlon post
Maven Smart System (MSS)
AI situational awareness, deployed to NATO SHAPE public reporting

Partners Named in Dynamis Posts

USN Project Overmatch Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Joint Fires Network U.S. Army 4th Infantry Div (NGC2) Marine Corps Warfighting Lab USMC PEO Land Systems NAVWAR / NIWCPacific
Key insight: Palantir is not a prospective platform for Dynamis — it is the already-deployed platform for kill chain integration in live-fire exercises. Northslope's pitch is not "adopt Palantir" but "let us build mission applications on the Palantir deployment you already have."

6. TJ's Innovation Pathway

How TJ describes the correct way into Dynamis — from his own posts

TJ (Principal Investigator, MCTSSA) publicly posts about the acquisition pathway companies should follow. These posts define the framework Northslope is navigating: entity store, linkedin_post

"A common misconception in defense innovation is thinking the fastest way in is to pitch a new product directly to a Program Office... The better path: Start with RDT&E sponsors, CRADAs, and experimentation venues to get your tech in government hands. Prove military utility in exercises and demonstrations. Build a transition plan into a Program of Record once the value is validated. RDT&E is the on-ramp. Procurement is the highway. O&M is the sustainment lane." TJ, urn:li:activity (28 reactions) — tagged #CRADA #MCTSSA
"Marine Forces Pacific seeks innovative and scalable technology solutions and technical services to support Project Dynamis, the Marine Corps' contribution to Project Overmatch... MCTSSA is publicizing this SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE as a means of conducting strategic market research..." TJ sharing RFI M68909-I-25-7615, urn:li:activity:7303502962830585856 (32 reactions)
"On Thursday, I'll cover how the MARFORPAC–MCTSSA partnership is reimagining the market research within the framework of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act. How we applied AI for multi-dimensional analysis and built symbiotic public–private models through CRADAs to demonstrate the 'Art of the Edge'." TJ, PACT 2026 announcement, urn:li:activity:7432294411528736768 (31 reactions)
Assessment: TJ has publicly documented the pathway: CRADA → experimentation venue (like "Art of the Edge") → transition to PoR. Northslope was already named as a participant in the "Art of the Edge" demo at WEST 2026. They are following TJ's stated playbook.

7. The "AC" Connection

Resolving the "AC" reference from TJ's email

Unresolved. TJ's email states: "I'm operating from a different role than how you all have engaged me in AC." Amanda replies: "broader offerings and capabilities beyond AC." Two candidate interpretations: an Army Contracting context, or the AC2 TTF (Aviation Command and Control Transition Task Force). Neither confirmed — Jeff should ask directly.

Evidence Chain

Confidence: MODERATE. The Gemini Deep Research report also proposes AC2 TTF (Aviation Command and Control Transition Task Force) as a candidate, given Bob Sholtis's prior role as HQMC PP&O C2 Section Head integrating GCE equities with the AC2 TTF. Gemini Deep Research

8. MARFORPAC Alignment

Priority Alignment Evidence Source
Battle Management C2 HIGH Palantir Target Workbench operational in Dynamis kill chain. Northslope builds on Palantir. Arlon's posts name "AI-powered battle management C2" as the core Dynamis deliverable. entity store
Informational Advantage HIGH Amanda's C4ADS/PAI/OSINT background directly relevant. Data fusion for situational awareness is Dynamis's stated mission. LinkedIn profile Arlon posts
Allies & Partners HIGH Ben Holloway (Royal Navy data chief) enables FVEY angle. Amanda's title scope includes "Asia Pacific." Bernice's posts focus on US-Japan allied data sharing and defense co-production. TJ's PACT 2026 panel: "AI-Driven C6ISR: Future of Allied Integration." LinkedIn profile entity store
Sustainment / Logistics MODERATE Ben's submarine logistics background relevant to contested logistics. Company markets "Supply Chain" vertical. No evidence of EABO-specific delivery. LinkedIn profile company website

9. Recommended Meeting Questions

Each question tied to a specific intelligence gap

Note: Jeff's four standard question sets (The Who / The What / The Why / The How) were used to structure the research inputs to this assessment. The questions below are derived from specific intelligence gaps identified during analysis.

  1. What specifically did Northslope build or demonstrate in the "Art of the Edge" demo at WEST 2026? What was your technical contribution vs. the other 12 partners? GAP: Tim Miller's post names 13 partners but doesn't specify Northslope's deliverable
  2. The Dynamis stack already runs Palantir Target Workbench + Anduril Lattice. Which Palantir instance/environment would your applications deploy into — and do you require AIP, Foundry, or Gotham? GAP: Northslope's marketing names all three platforms but doesn't specify which is relevant to Dynamis
  3. Matt — what was the context of your prior engagement with TJ before his current MCTSSA role? What does "AC" refer to? GAP: TJ's email implies prior engagement in a different context; this resolves the "AC" mystery
  4. Are you pursuing prime or sub? What contracting vehicle? You have no federal awards on record — what's your realistic 90-day contracting path? GAP: CAGE registered but zero awards; unclear how they intend to contract
  5. Ben — how does Royal Navy enterprise data integration experience map to MARFORPAC's US-Japan allied data sharing problem? Have you delivered anything in a FVEY or coalition context? GAP: Ben's background suggests coalition relevance but no evidence of actual coalition delivery
  6. Name one operational workflow you can deliver in 6-8 weeks on the existing Dynamis Palantir deployment. Inputs, outputs, latency targets, who sustains it. GAP: Company describes "connected AI application suites" without naming specific products or delivery timelines
  7. What is your current IL5/IL6 accreditation status? Are you utilizing Palantir FedStart to inherit security controls, or pursuing independent ATO? GAP: No public evidence of Impact Level accreditation or classified environment access
  8. If we initiate a CRADA to pilot a mission-specific AI application on MARFORPAC data, how does Northslope structure IP rights and data ownership for the resulting algorithms? GAP: Critical for CRADA structure — who retains IP: USMC, Palantir, or Northslope?

10. Competitive Context

Northslope is currently Palantir's only Vanguard: Elite partner. palantir.com The next tier of Palantir partners includes systems integrators who implement Foundry/Gotham but lack the "native FDE" operating model. The closest comparables in the defense AI space are:

Northslope's differentiation is narrow but real: they are the only company with Palantir's explicit endorsement to build last-mile mission applications on the Palantir stack. This matters where Palantir is already deployed (Dynamis). It is irrelevant where it isn't.

11. Risk Flags