Stealthy, Passive Radar Technology With Hidden Level
Jeff Cole
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Hidden Level's Co-Founder and CEO Jeff Cole is interviewed by Ernestine Fu Mak. Hidden Level specializes in stealthy, passive radar technology that provides real-time monitoring of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles — including covert “dark drones.” Unlike traditional radar, their systems don’t emit detectable signals, making them harder for adversaries to detect while remaining compliant with privacy laws.
Steve Blank also provides special remarks.
Key Takeaways
Stealth Technology for Modern Warfare
Unlike active radar systems that reveal their location by emitting RF signals, Hidden Level's passive technology combines electronic warfare capabilities and passive radar to detect threats without giving away position—critical as adversaries like Russia and China can target active emitters.
Privacy-First Airspace Security
Hidden Level's approach monitors RF disruptions rather than packet information, enabling rapid deployment in the U.S. without privacy law changes and allowing federal, state, local, and enterprise users to share data simultaneously.
Sensing as a Service Revolution
The company pioneered “sensing as a service” by deploying proprietary hardware on existing infrastructure such as cell towers, delivering real-time air surveillance and spectrum-weather data to both government and commercial customers, including NASA, the DoD, and future urban air-mobility operators.
Protecting Your IP in Defense Tech
Cole’s critical advice to defense-tech founders is to never compromise ownership of core IP. Government R&D funding often comes with shared rights that can classify technology, restrict exports, and limit market expansion across military branches and international customers.
From Rooms to Racks: The Power of Miniaturization
What once required rooms full of equipment from defense primes like Lockheed or Northrop Grumman now fits into a 60-inch tower—or a 30-inch advanced version—enabled by advanced antenna arrays, FPGAs, and software-defined radios. This demonstrates how innovation has democratized capabilities once exclusive to massive defense contractors.