Software development is changing faster than it has at any point since agencies moved to the cloud and adopted DevOps. To keep delivering the services people count on, agencies need new approaches and partners who can work that way.
That's why BLEN and Ad Hoc have formed ByDesign Technology, a new joint venture built to help them do it.
ByDesign brings together modern engineering, human-centered design, and practical AI to deliver working solutions in months. Each team takes on a defined mission challenge, so agencies can judge real results before deciding what to build next.
What ByDesign is building
ByDesign is developing three offerings, each aimed at a specific agency challenge:
- AI gateway governance
- Permitting and adjudication
- Mainframe modernization
Each one will include a working demonstration that agencies can evaluate and build on.
Two teams, complementary experience
BLEN is an 8(a)-certified, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, and HUBZone-certified small business based in Washington, DC. We have built software and mobile apps for federal agencies, nonprofits, and businesses since 2004, including work for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the White House, GSA, and the Head Start program at HHS. We also won a Department of Veterans Affairs contract for an AI-enabled clinical summarization capability and an AI Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, both now part of VA's clinical-AI infrastructure.
Ad Hoc has spent more than a decade helping government agencies improve how they deliver public services, with work that includes HealthCare.gov, VA.gov, VA's flagship mobile app, Medicare Plan Finder, and Search.gov. Its newest AI-enabled delivery model, Activate, pairs experienced teams with AI-assisted workflows, reusable delivery foundations, and human oversight to get from idea to working service faster.
Together, the two firms combine focused technical expertise with delivery at national scale.
Why "ByDesign"
The name reflects what we believe trustworthy government technology takes: deliberate choices. That means understanding what people need, building security in, and applying disciplined engineering.
"We formed ByDesign to take on more of the work that matters to our customers," said Ben Kutil, Chief Technology Officer at Ad Hoc. "With BLEN, we're putting more capability behind that commitment."
"BLEN has spent two decades proving what a small, disciplined engineering team can do inside government's toughest constraints," said Ephrem M. Girma, President of BLEN, Inc. ByDesign, Girma added, lets BLEN bring that discipline to a wider set of challenges alongside a partner that has delivered at VA.gov scale.
What this means for agencies
Through ByDesign, agencies get one integrated team that can turn a defined need into a working solution, gather feedback early, and use it to build secure, reliable services.
Let's talk
If your agency has a mission challenge that could benefit from this approach, visit bydesigntech.ai, get in touch, or email us at partner@blencorp.com.