This strategic report synthesizes the “Blue Collar AI” and “Diesel to Data” themes into specific, grant-eligible submission concepts for the CodeLaunch GTM Venture Forge.
The core thesis is simple: We are not building apps for office workers. We are building apps for the people who keep the lights on.
By aligning these submission themes with pending federal and private grant windows (open in the next 6 months), founders can double-dip: winning the CodeLaunch free build while simultaneously securing non-dilutive grant capital to deploy the tech.
🛠️ Report: The “Blue Collar AI” Opportunity
To: DeReticular Strategy Team & Potential Founders
Date: January 28, 2026
Subject: Grant-Aligned Submission Themes for CodeLaunch 2026
1. The Thesis: “From Diesel to Data”
The industrial world runs on diesel (generators, trucks, pumps). DeReticular’s RIOS nodes replace diesel with Data + Plasma.
- The Problem: Blue-collar industries (Ag, Mining, Logistics) generate massive amounts of physical value but almost zero digital value. Their data evaporates.
- The Opportunity: Build the “Translator Layer.” Applications that turn physical industrial output (heat, torque, harvest) into digital assets (tokens, credits, verified records).
2. Submission Theme A: The “Sovereign Mechanic”
- Concept: “Wrench-OS” (Augmented Reality Maintenance)
- The Pitch: A “Blue Collar AI” platform for the maintenance of DeReticular Nodes and heavy farm equipment. It uses a tablet/headset to overlay repair schematics onto a broken generator, guiding a non-technical local worker through the repair using computer vision.
- Target Node: Node 6 (Arizona – Mobility) & Node 4 (Uganda – Industrial).
Grant Alignment (Next 6 Months)
- Target Grant:Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) Initiative (Dept of Labor / Delta Regional Authority).
- Why: This grant funds projects that retrain rural workers for new tech jobs. “Wrench-OS” upskills a diesel mechanic into a “Sovereign Node Technician.”
- Target Grant:NSF “Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier.”
- Why: Funds AI that augments human workers rather than replacing them.
The CodeLaunch Strategy:
Pitch this as “The app that allows a 19-year-old in South Phoenix to repair a Tier 2 Infrastructure Node without a 4-year degree.”
3. Submission Theme B: The “Bio-Asset” Banker
- Concept: “HempGrade AI” (As detailed in previous reports)
- The Pitch: The “Diesel to Data” flagship. It scans physical biomass (hemp/waste) entering the Agra Energy gasifier and converts it into a “Bio-Energy Credit” on the ledger. It turns waste piles into a bank account.
- Target Node: Node 4 (Uganda) & Node 5 (Texas – Energy Student).
Grant Alignment (Next 6 Months)
- Target Grant:USDA “Rural Energy for America Program” (REAP) – TAG Grants.
- Why: REAP has specific set-asides for renewable energy systems and energy audit technologies in rural areas.
- Target Grant:The “Smart Farm” Innovation Grant (Various Ag-Tech private foundations like Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research).
- Why: They specifically look for “Data-driven value chains” in agriculture.
The CodeLaunch Strategy:
“We are building the ‘Visa Network’ for the post-diesel economy. Every stalk of hemp is a transaction.”
4. Submission Theme C: The “Guardian” of the Mesh
- Concept: “Site-Sight” (Privacy-First Security)
- The Pitch: A security application for the Spaces of Opportunity (Tiger Mountain) site. It uses “Blue Collar AI” to distinguish between a coyote, a thief, or a worker. Crucially, it processes video locally on the RIOS Node (Privacy Layer) so no surveillance data goes to Big Tech or the Police cloud unless a crime is verified.
- Target Node: Node 3 (Arizona – Simulator) & Node 6 (Mobility).
Grant Alignment (Next 6 Months)
- Target Grant:DHS “Soft Target Security” Grant Program.
- Why: Non-profits (like TMF) can apply for security enhancements. This app fits the “Target Hardening” via technology criteria.
- Target Grant:Mozilla “Data Privacy” Grants.
- Why: They fund open-source tech that protects user privacy. Pitching “Local-Only AI Security” is a strong narrative fit.
The CodeLaunch Strategy:
“Security without Surveillance. We protect the physical asset (The Farm) without compromising the digital asset (Privacy).”
5. Strategic Execution: The “Double Dip”
For founders entering the CodeLaunch GTM Venture Forge, the workflow is:
- Feb 2026: Submit application to CodeLaunch. (Theme: Innovation).
- Mar 2026: Use the exact same technical roadmap and DeReticular partnership letter to apply for the USDA or WORC Grant. (Theme: Rural Impact).
- Result: Even if you don’t win CodeLaunch, the grant application is stronger because you have the DeReticular “Letter of Intent.” If you do win CodeLaunch, you use the grant money to scale the deployment.
Immediate Action Item
For Tiger Mountain Foundation (Fred Stevens):
We should prepare a joint submission for Theme A (The Sovereign Mechanic).
- Narrative: TMF’s workforce development program will use this app to train formerly incarcerated individuals to become high-tech “Infrastructure Guardians” for the new Sovereign Web.
- Grant: DOL “Pathway Home” Grant (Reentry employment opportunities).
