Google cofounder Sergey Brin has been buying up property in Los Altos, Calif., a small Silicon Valley town near where he lives.
He's charging below-market rent with the goal of trying to keep the right mix of businesses downtown, like toy stores for kids.
But Brin is up to more than fun and games. He's also the landlord to Hover Inc., 3D mapping technology company.
Hover makes Indigo-i, a 3D modeling system designed to improve "situational awareness," a military term that refers to knowledge of one's environment in real time. Indigo-i is especially good at mapping and modeling buildings, which can help soldiers fighting in urban environments. Such knowledge can be "lifesaving," the Indigo-i website says.
Hover's CEO, AJ Altman, is a Marine who served as a ground intelligence officer. CTO Lu is a former Nasa astronaut. Software engineer Nicholas Ray worked on "America's Army," a hyperrealistic military video game. And Indigo-i's Tom Spooner as a former Special Operations operator.
Here's a video explaining how Indigo-i helps America's fighting forces: