By Eleanor Kent, Army FUZE 

MIAMI, FL ‒ At eMerge Americas 2026, the U.S Army aligned leadership engagement with live technology pitches to identify capabilities and move the most promising solutions toward operational use. As part of this effort, the Army FUZE xTech Program hosted the fifth installment of its xTech|Live competition series, enabled through the Army’s Pathway for Innovation and Technology (PIT) and Army FUZE. During the event, startups, nontraditional companies, and on-site participants pitched technologies directly to Army subject matter experts for a share of up to $600,000 in prize funding and the opportunity to demonstrate their solutions with the 101st Airborne Division during the Week of the Eagles.

Leadership Discussions Reinforce Speed to Field 

Army leaders participated in multiple sessions throughout the conference, focusing on how the Army is accelerating the delivery of capability to operational units. During the “From Lab to Battlefield: How Army PIT and FUZE are Rewiring the Speed of Warfighter Innovation” session, COL Shermoan Daiyaan, Director of the PIT and Dr. Matt Willis, Director of Army FUZE, discussed efforts to reduce the time between concept, validation, and fielded capability by embedding with operators, streamlining integrations, and accelerating experimentation cycles.

During this fireside chat, Dr. Willis emphasized the urgency of the Army’s new approach, noting that “the speed with which we are moving can’t be underscored enough.” COL Daiyaan also added, “Speed takes priority over perfection in our innovation ecosystem. We are rewiring the Army to ensure that if a technology solves a Soldier’s problem today, we have a direct pathway to get it into their hands tomorrow.”

In a separate session, “Venture Capital Ignition: Fueling Dual-Use National Security Innovations,” LTC Sam Spencer-Pittman, Private Capital Integrator for Army FUZE, highlighted the critical role of venture capital in accelerating the development of dual-use technologies. He emphasized how private investment can bridge the gap between commercial innovation and national defense needs, expanding the Army’s access to cutting-edge solutions and non-traditional capability development pathways.

“To truly fuel dual-use national security innovations, we must leverage the speed, agility, and resources of venture capital,” said LTC Spencer-Pittman. “By aligning private investment with our operational requirements, we can rapidly scale technologies that serve both commercial markets and the warfighter, ensuring our forces maintain a decisive technological edge.”

Across these engagements, leaders emphasized that speed to field depends on both stronger integration within the Army and broader access to innovators outside of it. These discussions reinforced the Army’s focus on engaging companies that may not traditionally work with the Department of War (DoW) and creating more direct pathways for them to get involved.

xTech|Live at eMerge Americas 2026 Expands Army Engagement

xTech|Live at eMerge Americas brought live technology evaluation into the conference environment, enabling companies to present solutions directly to Army and DoW evaluators. Held in partnership with the Joint Innovation Outpost (JIOP) and the 101st Airborne Division, the competition focused on four technology areas aligned to the 101st Airborne Division’s current operational needs:

• Counter-small unmanned aerial systems (C-SUAS) for dismounted forces
• Stratospheric effects
• Reconnaissance and security for reduced formations
• Rear area security

The live format enabled both pre-registered participants and on-site attendees to compete and pitch their technologies. During the pre-registration period, the competition received 132 quad chart submissions, reflecting strong interest across the targeted capability areas. Throughout the live competition in Miami, 83 companies delivered one-minute pitches, with 26 advancing to the five-minute presentations on the xTech|Live at eMerge Americas stage and live question-and-answer session with Army and DoW evaluators. This structure allowed companies to engage on the spot, receive immediate feedback from experts, and quickly understand how their technologies align to operational requirements. It also enabled the Army to assess a broader range of solutions in a compressed timeframe, including those from companies without prior experience working with xTech or the DoW.

The competition drew engagement from across the defense and investment communities, placing participating companies in front of Army leadership including COL Daiyaan from the PIT, subject matter experts from the 101st Airborne Division, and private-sector stakeholders. eMerge Americas co-founders Manny Medina and Melisssa Medina, who built eMerge into a global platform for connecting more than 20,000 attendees from across the startup and investment ecosystem, participated as guest judges of the competition, engaging with innovators during their live pitch sessions. Additionally, venture investor Matt Higgins, Co-Founder and CEO of RSE Ventures, also visited during deliberations, connecting with Army evaluators and gaining visibility into the solutions under consideration.

Six Winners Announced and Invited to Army Demonstration  

At the conclusion of the competition, the Army selected six companies on the eMerge main stage in front of conference attendees, awarding each $100,000 and an invitation to participate in a follow-on demonstration during the 101st Airborne Division’s Week of the Eagles in May 2026.

The selected companies represent a range of capabilities aligned to the competition’s focus areas: 

• ARHCAIUS: Resilient GPS and signal defense technologies designed to operate in contested and denied environments 
• Bulzi, Inc.: Passive C5ISR solution leveraging RF and acoustic edge-AI signal analytics at the tactical edge 
• Emesent: combat-proven autonomous LiDAR mapping payload operating in GPS-denied, zero-light environments 
• Kinard Technologies: AI-powered autonomous protection system designed to support persistent security operations 
• Outrider USA: Semi-autonomous unmanned ground vehicle providing persistent, multi-day surveillance for rear-area assets 
• SRC, Inc.: Multi-function electromagnetic warfare payload for high-altitude platforms designed to deny and disrupt adversary systems 

xTech|Live at eMerge Americas 2026 marked the fifth iteration of the xTech|Live series and reinforced the value of taking Army challenges directly into high-visibility innovation environments. By pairing live evaluation with direct access to operational units, the format gives companies a clearer path from initial pitch to Soldier feedback while helping the Army identify relevant capabilities faster. xTech|Live will return to the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting this fall, continuing the momentum from last year’s xTech|Disrupt competition and bringing the live pitch format back to AUSA.