SKYMRAM program targets next-generation semiconductor memory using spintronics and nanoscale fabrication, supporting Rocket One’s strategy across AI infrastructure, space, and defense computing.

HOBOKEN, N.J., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rocket One Inc. (Nasdaq: RKTO) (“Rocket One” or the “Company”) — today announced that it has executed a sponsored research agreement with Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) to advance SKYMRAM, a skyrmion-based magnetic memory technology with potential applications in next-generation AI chips and computing systems.

The agreement establishes a one-year research program scheduled to begin November 1, 2026. The work will focus on nanoscale fabrication, materials optimization, and device-level testing toward a critical proof-of-concept milestone: demonstrating switching of SKYMRAM’s soft magnetic layer.

For Rocket One, the agreement establishes a defined experimental development program supporting its broader strategy to pursue advanced semiconductor technologies for AI infrastructure, space, and defense applications.

“Building the next generation of AI computing requires advances in the underlying hardware, including how information is stored and switched,” said Robb Knie, Chief Executive Officer of Rocket One. “This agreement establishes a concrete development path for SKYMRAM, with fabrication, characterization and switching milestones designed to test the technology at the device level. Our goal is to build the technical foundation for future chip architectures serving AI infrastructure, space, and defense.”

Advancing the Building Blocks of Future AI Chips

SKYMRAM research uses skyrmions—nanoscale magnetic structures—as the basis for a proposed magnetic memory architecture. The program will investigate the material structures and switching behavior needed to advance this approach toward future semiconductor applications.

The planned work includes:

Nanoscale device fabrication: Patterning, etching, and characterizing magnetic material stacks designed to host skyrmions.Materials engineering: Developing and refining thin-film structures to support device testing.Switching studies: Investigating control of the soft magnetic layer, a central proof-of-concept objective.Device optimization: Refining structures to host skyrmions approximately 100 nanometers in size and pursuing reliable switching within the planned experimental framework.

VCU will lead the project under Principal Investigator Jayasimha Atulasimha. The agreement also provides for a Northwestern University subaward supporting thin-film growth, materials characterization and optimization, with feedback between materials development and device measurements.

A Defined Development Path for Advanced Semiconductor Technology

The program establishes quarterly objectives progressing from initial material-stack fabrication and characterization to switching studies and optimized nanoscale structures.

These experiments are intended to generate evidence needed to assess SKYMRAM’s technical feasibility and guide subsequent development. The program represents foundational memory-device research supporting potential future AI chip architectures; it does not establish completed AI processors or validated system-level performance.

Rocket One views advanced magnetic memory as a potential component of its long-term computing strategy. Applications in AI infrastructure, space and defense would require further development and application-specific validation, including any testing needed to establish radiation tolerance.

The agreement also provides Rocket One with an option to negotiate licenses to intellectual property arising from the project, subject to its terms.

About Rocket One
Rocket One Inc. is a publicly traded technology company building a portfolio across artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced semiconductor technologies, space and defense systems, and autonomous platforms. Rocket One is advancing licensed spintronic and nanomagnetic computing technologies for AI acceleration and radiation-tolerant computing, together with Swarm Stage AI, a drone-swarm threat-emulation and counter-UAS training platform. Tracer Drone Technologies, LLC (a Rocket One company) provides end-to-end drone solutions including hardware, software, FAA training, and technical support to help public safety, commercial, and enterprise organizations successfully deploy and maintain their aerial programs.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s strategic repositioning, the development potential of the licensed technologies, the suitability of those technologies for orbital, defense, and other applications, anticipated future operations and market opportunities. You should not place reliance on these forward-looking statements, which include words such as “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” or similar terms, variations of such terms, or the negative of those terms. There are a number of factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation: the early-stage nature of the licensed technologies, which have not been fabricated as integrated devices, validated in space environments, or qualified for any commercial or government program, and the absence of any commercial product; the substantial additional capital the Company will require to fabricate, test, and qualify the licensed technologies, including for radiation tolerance and space deployment; the long development timelines associated with novel semiconductor and materials platforms; competition from larger, better-funded and well recognized companies in the semiconductor, AI hardware, space, and defense computing sectors; the Company’s ability to recruit qualified leadership and technical personnel in nanomagnetic devices, semiconductor engineering, and aerospace systems; the Company’s ability to comply with diligence milestones under the Virginia Commonwealth University license agreements, the failure of which could result in loss of license rights; intellectual property risks; export control and government contracting risks associated with defense and space applications; and the risks inherent in a strategic pivot. Additional risk factors are described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) including the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and the Company’s other filings made with the SEC. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee such outcomes. The Company may not realize its expectations, and its beliefs may not prove correct. All such statements speak only as of the date made. Consequently, forward-looking statements should be regarded solely as the Company’s current plans, estimates, and beliefs. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company cannot guarantee future results, events, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. The Company does not undertake and specifically declines any obligation to update, republish, or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, future events, or circumstances or to reflect the occurrences of unanticipated events, except as may be required by applicable law.

Investor Contact
LR Advisors LLC
Email: investorrelations@rocketone.space
Phone: (678) 570-6791
www.rocketone.space 

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SOURCE Rocket One Inc.

Industry veteran brings 15 years of premium cigar merchandising experience to support the company’s continued growth and customer experience.

DRUMS, Pa., Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Best Cigar Prices (BCP), one of the nation’s leading online retailers of premium cigars, is pleased to announce that John Greeby will join the company as Vice President of Merchandising in October 2026.

Greeby brings 15 years of experience in merchandising, promotions, and business leadership at the nation’s largest business-to-consumer (B2C) cigar company. Over nearly 11 years in leadership roles, he managed teams and business units and developed deep expertise in merchandising strategy, vendor negotiations, inventory management, sales growth, and margin optimization.

Throughout his career, Greeby has played a key role in a broad range of business initiatives, including website user experience improvements, product assortment and placement, brand development, change management, new project development, and ERP and CMS system integrations. His experience building and developing teams, strengthening vendor relationships, and driving profitable growth will prove vital as Best Cigar Prices expands its merchandising capabilities and delivers value to customers.

“John brings an incredible depth of industry knowledge and merchandising experience to Best Cigar Prices,” said Greg Fox, President and CEO of Best Cigar Prices. “We’re excited to welcome him to the team. His expertise in vendor relationships, merchandising strategy, and driving profitable growth will be a tremendous asset as we continue to build our business, strengthen our partnerships, and deliver an exceptional experience for our customers.”

“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Best Cigar Prices team,” said Greeby. “BCP has a strong reputation in the industry and a tremendous opportunity for continued growth. I’m looking forward to working with the team, building strong vendor partnerships, developing our merchandising strategy, and finding new ways to bring value to our customers while helping drive the company’s success.”

As Vice President of Merchandising, Greeby will lead BCP’s merchandising strategy, focusing on product assortment, vendor partnerships, promotional planning, inventory management, and margin growth. He will work closely with the company’s leadership, marketing, sales, and purchasing teams to align merchandising initiatives with broader business objectives.

Greeby’s appointment demonstrates Best Cigar Prices’ continued investment in its leadership team and its commitment to reinforcing its position in the premium cigar marketplace.

About Best Cigar Prices

Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Drums, Pennsylvania, Best Cigar Prices (BestCigarPrices.com) is one of the leading online cigar retailers in the United States. It offers a wide selection of premium cigars, cigar accessories, humidors, lighters and cutters at low prices. Customers can shop top premium cigar brands such as Drew Estate, Rocky Patel, Arturo Fuente, Padrón, Oliva, My Father, Perdomo, Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo. Best Cigar Prices also carries exclusive cigars you can’t buy anywhere else, including the popular Barn Cured and Octane lines. The company is 100% American-owned and operated. It has built strong relationships with the world’s top cigar makers, which lets it offer daily cigar deals, discounted cigar boxes and samplers, and fast shipping to cigar smokers across the country. Shop online anytime at www.bestcigarprices.com.

Media Contact:

Best Cigar Prices
Contact-Shane Wirta-Vice President of Marketing
swirta@bestcigarprices.com   
www.bestcigarprices.com 

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SOURCE Best Cigar Prices

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today the National Security Commission on Robotics for Advanced Manufacturing, an initiative of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), released its preliminary report. According to preliminary findings, the United States leads in the technologies that form the “brain” of modern robotics, including artificial intelligence, computer vision, autonomy, and software, but it lacks the scale to deploy robots, produce robotic systems, and manufacture critical components domestically.

Co-chaired by Senator Ted Budd (R-NC), Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and SCSP President Ylli Bajraktari, the Commission describes a consequential imbalance. China installed 295,000 industrial robots in 2024, 54% of the global total, compared with 34,200 in the United States. China’s installed base now exceeds two million robots, more than five times America’s. The U.S. ranks eighth in robot density, and only 12.1% of U.S. manufacturing plants reported using robots in 2021.

“Physical AI” is AI embodied in machines that sense and act in the real world. The Commission finds that its gains will arrive only when the technology is installed, integrated, and put to productive use. The report identifies a supply-demand paradox at the center of the problem: manufacturers wait for robots to become cheaper and better proven, while robotics firms cannot lower costs or improve performance without deployment at scale. The Commission calls this a market failure that is unlikely to resolve on its own.

Key findings from the Preliminary Report include:

A fragmented national framework. Federal robotics programs are spread across at least four executive departments with no single accountable authority. Public confidence is uneven, and dependence on foreign components, including China’s roughly 94% share of permanent-magnet production, creates supply-chain and cybersecurity risk.A talent pipeline under strain. U.S. manufacturers could face up to 1.9 million unfilled jobs by 2033. Robotics can help fill dangerous and chronically vacant roles, but employment effects are not predetermined. They depend on the pace of adoption and on whether training and job redesign keep up.Barriers to adoption at scale. Small and medium-sized manufacturers, about 95% of U.S. manufacturing firms, face capital constraints, knowledge gaps, narrow return-on-investment metrics, and cybersecurity and liability uncertainty. New AI-assisted programming, low-code tools, and collaborative robots are expanding what is possible, but safety and performance standards are lagging.An innovation ecosystem that cannot yet scale. Venture capital timelines are poorly matched to hardware, and supply chains are opaque and concentrated. Operational data is scarce and fragmented, and integration costs remain high.

The preliminary report concludes that the United States needs a national mission organized around deployment. It would mobilize private-sector dynamism, research strength, capital markets, regional manufacturing ecosystems, and skilled workers, without copying China’s state-directed model or requiring domestic production of every component.

“The United States invented much of the intelligence behind modern robotics, but intelligence that can’t be built, deployed, and sustained at scale won’t secure American industrial leadership,” said Bajraktari. “This report shows that the challenge is a system problem: adoption, production, workforce, financing, and data all reinforce one another. Fixing it will take coordinated national focus.”

“To unlock the full economic potential of artificial intelligence, we must deploy it at the physical level across our economy. Reindustrializing the United States is essential to strengthening critical supply chains, securing American leadership in emerging technologies, and staying ahead of China. The Commission’s preliminary report is an important step toward identifying how we can harness the full potential of physical AI, automation, and robotics. I look forward to continuing my work with the Commission to advance practical solutions that put U.S. tech leadership and innovation first,” said Senator Budd.

“I will always fight to ensure the United States remains the global leader in manufacturing. We need to bring back and expand critical manufacturing processes here at home and shore up vulnerable supply chains in our most important sectors. And we can do so without harming America’s workers. I thank the Commissioners for their hard work on this Interim Report,” said Senator Slotkin

The report is a diagnosis, not a set of prescriptions. The Commission’s final report, scheduled for March 2027, will propose recommendations for federal, state, and regional leaders; manufacturers and technology companies; educators and workforce-development organizations; workers and labor representatives; investors; and research institutions.

About the Commission
The National Security Commission on Robotics for Advanced Manufacturing is a bipartisan initiative of the Special Competitive Studies Project. It brings together leaders from manufacturing, technology, academia, research, investment, national security, and government to ensure the United States has the industrial capacity, supply chains, and skilled workforce to build, deploy, and sustain physical AI systems at scale.

About SCSP
The Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit project focused on strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness as artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies reshape national security, the economy, and society.

For more information about the report and the Commission, please contact Tara Rigler at tmr@scsp.ai.

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SOURCE Special Competitive Studies Project