About Caird
We build communication tools for the moment everything else stops working.
Our name
In 1915, Ernest Shackleton's ship, the Endurance, was trapped and crushed by the ice of Antarctica. His crew of 28 men ended up stranded on Elephant Island, a frozen rock with no way to call for help and no one coming to look for them.
So Shackleton took a 22 foot lifeboat called the James Caird and sailed it about 800 miles across the Southern Ocean, some of the worst water on Earth, to reach help on South Georgia Island.
It worked. Every one of his 28 men made it home.
We named the company after that boat. It was small, it was not built for what it was asked to do, and it got the message through anyway when there was no other way. That is the standard we want to hold ourselves to.
What we do
Caird Systems is developing Groundlink, field communication software for military and emergency teams.
Networks are one of the first things to fail in a war or a natural disaster, especially now that jamming and cyber attacks are common. Groundlink is designed so that when the main network goes down, devices connect directly to each other and keep sharing maps, messages, team locations, and supply information. When the network comes back, everything syncs on its own.
We are at an early stage. Right now our work is research, design, and building a first prototype.
Our goal
Most people hear defense technology and think of weapons. We are working on the opposite.
Our goal is to make sure no team is ever left cut off and alone because a network failed. That means building tools that stay simple, secure, and reliable in the worst conditions, and being honest about what they can and cannot do.
Long term, we want Groundlink in the hands of the military, the National Guard, and the emergency crews who respond when disaster hits at home.
Get in touch
Founded by Collin Miller, a networking student focused on building communication systems that hold up when it counts.
Questions, feedback, or want to follow the project?
collin@cairdsystems.com