xTechSearch 8

xTechSearch is the U.S. Army’s only open-topic prize competition. Focused on harnessing new and disruptive technologies, xTechSearch 8 integrates small businesses into the Army’s Science and Technology ecosystem. Participants will have access to training and advising as they progress through the competition to determine how best to align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army. The competition will provide up to $800,000 in cash prizes and winners will receive an invite to submit a proposal for a $250,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract.

  • WINNER

    AeroParagon LLC

    Revolutionizing Air Defense with Low-Cost Counter-UAS TechnologySensors Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Atolla Tech

    Lidar/ ML cUAS detection and identification AI/ML Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Brelyon

    Brelyon Ultra Reality Mini Dual-Layer for Enhanced Situational Awareness via Amplified Indirect Vision Immersive/Wearables Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Cleo Robotics Labs Inc

    Next Generation sUAS for Dense Urban and Subterranean EnvironmentsAutonomy Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Cool Amps Corp.

    Lithium-ion Battery Critical Metals Extraction and CircularityClimate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Cornerstone Research Group, Inc

    Ultra-Low Temperature Rechargeable Li-Metal BatteryPower Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Elysium Robotics

    Muscle-like actuators for Army Applications AI/ML Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Enabled Engineering

    A modular solid-state AM technology to rapidly increase on-demand manufacturing capacity Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Enig Associate, Inc.

    elementalGEO: Finding Underground Structures with Charged Particle Beam PhysicsSensors Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Genesis Codes Inc

    SAUCEN (Smart, Adaptive, Ultra-Reliable, Cyber-Resilient, Efficient Network) Solution Contested Logistics Visit Website
  • WINNER

    GSI Technology, Inc.

    AI Accelerator for Edge ComputingAI/ML Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Hydroplane Ltd.

    Hydroplane Powerplant For Mobile Energy Storage Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Nexcepta Inc

    Optimizing Open-Distributed Group Communications Network Technologies Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Precision Combustion, Inc.

    JP-8 Fueled Electrified Combat Vehicles Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGVC) Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Primordial Labs Inc.

    Voice Command Autonomy for Army Human-Machine Integrated Formations Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGVC) Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Stealth Power

    Stealth Power: Enabling Bi-Directional Energy Flow Between Army Vehicle and Microgrid Assets Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • WINNER

    SunRay Scientific Inc.

    On-textile integration of power, control and communications for advanced wearablesMaterials and Manufacturing Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Trusted Science and Technology

    Assured Robotics Embedded Systems and Applications in Ground Vehicles (ARSENAL)Cyber Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Farad Power

    High-Energy 6T Batteries with Biomass-Derived Anode Materials Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • WINNER

    Yank Technologies, Inc

    Wireless Charging Systems for Conformal Wearable Batteries Immersive/Wearables Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    AEROMARINE CONSULTING, INC

    Aeromarine Attritable Utility UAVAutonomy Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    ALLVAR

    Negative Thermal Expansion Alloys for Drastically Reduced Infrared Electro-Optic Noise and CostSensors Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Alpine Advanced Materials

    Transformational Thermoplastic Nanocomposite, HX5, to Replace Machined Aluminum for Superior Performance, Manufacturability, and Prototyping Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Bevilacqua Research Corporation

    Dual-Band Low SWaP Concurrent Panoramic SensorSensors Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Falcon Fuel Cells

    Man-Portable 25 kW Fuel Cell for Clean Energy Generation and Vehicle Charging Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Hawk Technologies, LLC

    Active Vibration Control for Health, Signature, Surveillance, and LethalityAutonomy Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    dMetrics

    Encoding SME perspective in AI/MLAI/ML Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    RISE Robotics

    Solid-State Technology to Power Next-Generation U.S. Army Heavy MachineryEngineering-Coastal and Hydraulics Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Hinetics LLC

    Man-portable, high-power gensets for agile field operationsPower Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Homeostasis Systems Corp.

    Resilient Critical Material Supply: Domestic Production of Graphite from Atmospheric CO2 Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Immobileyes Inc.

    High-Impact, Programmable, Reusable, Flash/Sound Visual Disrupter Electronics Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Infibertech, Corp.

    Multi-layer, high performance silicon photonics gyro Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    InfoBeyond Technology LLC

    PRSIC-MAC : A Prioritized Resolution Successive Interference Cancellation Multi-Beam Antenna MAC Protocol for Integrated Fire Control Systems Air and Missile Defense Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Integrated Tactical Technologies, LLC

    Molar Mic Wearable Communication Immersive/Wearables Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Ion Storage Systems

    Advancing Rate Capability for Safer, High Performance Soldier-Portable Batteries Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Kugar Inc.

    Revolutionizing Aircraft Maintenance: Implementing Instablox Modular Robotics Platform for Automated Painting, Sanding, and De-fastening Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    METAseismic / Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

    Ultra-Compact High-Performance Acoustic Metamaterials for Mechanical ShieldingSolider Lethality Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Mach Industries, Inc.

    Prometheus: Tactical Hydrogen Generation in the Field Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Molten Industries Inc.

    Domestic Production of Anode Grade Graphite for Batteries Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    NAVSYS Corporation

    Vehicular ALTPNT Navigation System (VANS) Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    NC Solar Inverters LLC

    Extreme Fast Charger for All Electric TWV Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Novaa

    Leap Ahead mmWave Beamsteering Array for DVEElectronics Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    PYRASTOP, INC

    Fire Retardant Textiles Platform (FRTP) Advanced Manufacturing and Materials Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Sixdof Space Inc.

    UAV/Drone Targeted Landing – High Speed Optical TrackingAutonomy Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Spark Connected

    Wireless Power for the Modern ArmyPower Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Stratin Engineering

    Low-Cost Expendable Array of Drones with Radio-Receivers (LEADRR)Autonomy Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Sufficiently Advanced, Inc.

    AI Generated Robotic BehaviorAI/ML Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Trabus Technologies

    Waveform Agility with Peer-to-Peer Wireless Technology Contested Logistics Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Viele Exploratory Sustainable Solutions LLC

    Project AEGIS – Real-time Geospatial Mapping Solution for Situational Awareness and Synthetic Training Environments Military Engineering Technologies Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    XL Scientific, LLC., dba Verus Research

    Cyber Intelligence, Surveillance and ReconnaissanceCyber Visit Website
  • FINALIST

    Zinc Electric Power

    Low Maintenance 30-year Lifetime Battery Energy Storage Systems Climate and Clean Tech Visit Website

ARCHIVED TOPIC INFORMATION

DESCRIPTION

xTechSearch is the U.S. Army’s only open-topic prize competition. Focused on harnessing new and disruptive technologies, xTechSearch 8 integrates small businesses into the Army’s Science and Technology ecosystem. Participants will have access to training and advising as they progress through the competition to determine how best to align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army. The competition will provide up to $800,000 in cash prizes and winners will receive an invite to submit a proposal for a $250,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract.

The Army invites interested entities to participate in the xTechSearch 8 competition, a forum for eligible small and independent U.S. businesses to engage with the Department of Defense (DOD), earn prize money, participate in the accelerator program and potentially submit for a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. xTechSearch offers an opportunity to pitch novel technology solutions — new applications for an existing technology or entirely new technology concepts — to the Army.

The xTechSearch 8 competition will provide up to $800,000 in cash prizes to select eligible entities. Up to 50 finalists will receive a cash prize of $2,000 each and an invitation to demonstrate their innovative technology solutions to address Army challenges. Judges will select up to 20 participants as the final winners of the competition to receive an additional cash prize of $35,000 each and the potential opportunity to submit for a Phase I SBIR award of up to $250,000 each. Details on the prize structure and SBIR structure are listed below. All SBIR plans are contingent on the reauthorization of the SBIR program.

The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASA(ALT)) recognizes the Army must enhance engagements with small businesses by understanding the spectrum of world-class technologies in commercial development that may benefit the DOD in the manufacturing space. ASA(ALT) also understands the importance of integrating the commercial innovator sector into the DOD Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem.

The xTechSearch competition strives to integrate small businesses into the Army’s S&T ecosystem by providing research opportunities with Army labs, including authorized access to the Army’s organic intellectual and technical capital. Participants will receive detailed feedback from Army and DOD stakeholders. As they progress through the competition, participants will have access to training, advising, and other support infrastructure to determine how best to align their technology solutions with real users and buyers within the Army.

Army Focus Areas

xTechSearch seeks novel, disruptive concepts and technology solutions with dual-use capabilities that can assist in tackling the Army’s current needs and apply to current Army concepts. The intent is to provide the Army with transformative technology solutions while enabling cost savings throughout the Army systems’ life cycle. Critical technology focus areas include artificial intelligence and machine learning; autonomy; climate and clean tech; contested logistics and sustainment; immersive and wearables; and sensors. See the attached document on the Valid Eval registration page for a list of the top Army modernization priorities and other critical Army focus areas.

SCHEDULE AND PRIZES

PHASE 1: Concept White Paper

Oct 17, 2023 - Nov 30, 2023

Up to 50 Finalists

$2K/each

PHASE 2: Finals

Apr 22, 2024 - May 3, 2024

Up to 20 Winners

$35K/each

PHASE 3: Request For Phase I SBIR Proposal

May 14, 2024 - Jun 13, 2024

Up to 20 Winners

$250K/each

PHASE 4:

-

ELIGIBILITY

Small, independent U.S. businesses. Restrictions exist about (1) the type of firm, (2) its ownership structure, and (3) the firm’s size in terms of the number of employees, as follows:

  1. Type of Firm: an eligible firm must be organized as a for‐profit concern and meet all the other small business requirements in 13 C.F.R. § 121.702. Non‐profit entities are not eligible.
  2. Ownership and Control: A majority (more than 50%) of an eligible firms’ equity (e.g., stock) must be directly owned and controlled by one of the following:

a. One or more individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the U.S.

b. Other for‐profit small business concerns (each of which is directly owned and controlled by individuals who are citizens or permanent resident aliens of the U.S.)

c. A combination of (a) and (b) above.

Note: If an Employee Stock Ownership Plan owns all or part of the concern, each stock trustee and plan member is considered an owner.  If a trust owns all or part of the concern, each trustee and trust beneficiary is considered an owner.

  1. Size: An eligible firm, together with the affiliates, must not have more than 500 employees.

Foreign companies may participate in xTechSearch by partnering with a U.S. based company that meets the type of firm, ownership structure, and size requirements defined above, so long as the U.S. small business is the primary lead.

Companies that have previously participated in xTechSearch competitions are eligible to participate for new technology concepts or improvements to prior submitted proposals.

Finalists from the xTechSearch 7 competition are not eligible to participate in this competition unless they partner with another firm that did not reach the finals of xTechSearch 7, so long as the alternate firm is the primary lead. xTechSearch 7 finalists will be eligible to once again participate in the xTechSearch series and submit a proposal of their own when xTechSearch 9 launches.

Technologies that fall exclusively within the portfolio of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, which include military infectious diseases, combat casualty care, military operational medicine, chemical biological defense, and clinical and rehabilitative medicine, are excluded from xTechSearch.

Submission window is closed.

xTechSearch 8

xTechSearch 8

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