Areté comes from the Greek (ἀρετή) meaning excellence, or the act of living up to one’s full potential.
Areté was founded in 1976 by five scientists, tasked by the Department of Defense to help solve the challenge of detecting weak signals in heavy ocean clutter. For this challenge, Areté’s founders applied “first principles thinking,” an Aristotelian method of problem solving that assesses the fundamental truths about the science at hand, not operating on assumption and past history.
As part of its research, Areté modeled sea waves, white caps, and surf to discover how factors such as current, temperature, and weather affect the ocean. The water modeling was so precise that it has been licensed over the years for films such as Titanic. Today, we work from seafloor to space, creating the best sensing products and software available. We have our employees to thank for our consistent excellence.
MISSION
To harness our world-class talent to provide superior solutions to national and global security challenges.
VISION
Leading-edge science and engineering protecting the nation and the world from seafloor to space.
BRAND PILLARS
• Creativity
• Integrity
• Passion
• Responsiveness
• Collaboration
Company Culture
We’re not your average defense company. We are quite different, and so are our people. For one thing, our people aren’t about punching a time clock. We are all about protecting our country.
Anyone who works at Areté will tell you the same thing: they are passionate about their work, no matter their job. And we do whatever we can to help our employees do their best. If you want to add a skill to your toolbox, we make that happen. If you want more education, we pay for it. If you want to mentor or be mentored, done. We believe that our employees are our best investment in Areté’s leading-edge technology. We are known for being an out-of-the-box tech company. We approach problem-solving differently, and because of it, we create best-in-class solutions. We believe synergy happens by creating a collaborative, creative environment. And you can only have successful outcomes when people are challenged and engaged.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
We see our diverse backgrounds and perspectives as essential to living up to the name “Areté”. Areté recognizes that true excellence derives from unifying a variety of thoughts and experiences. By valuing and integrating a broad spectrum of lived experiences and worldviews – from those shaped by varied abilities and service histories to those informed by unique gender identities and cultural heritages – we not only enhance our innovative capabilities but also uphold our moral obligation to foster an inclusive and respectful environment. The commitment to a culture of inclusion is supported from executive leadership to Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council (DEIC), who unite to foster initiatives such as ensuring equitable language in job postings, promoting women in key roles, providing gender neutral bathrooms, and recognizing contributions of minorities – ensuring our words are transformed into tangible results.