By Tara Clinton and Sarah Hepburn, Office of Army Innovation Programs 

WASHINGTON– The U.S. Army xTech Program, in collaboration with US Army Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconaissance Taskforce, hosted the third iteration of its live pitch competition, xTechLive. Held at the DEF CON 33 Hacking Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on August 8 and 9, 2025, the competition offered a $100,000 prize pool for cutting-edge software solutions that leverage AI to perform advanced data fusion from small and medium-sized businesses across the globe. 

Unlike traditional acquisition processes, xTechLive offers a fast, accessible pathway for companies—many of them first-time defense partners—to pitch their innovations directly to Army decision-makers. The open, walk-up format removes barriers that often keep nontraditional businesses out of the defense market, showcasing the Army’s commitment to quickly identifying, evaluating, and advancing emerging technologies from across the global innovation ecosystem.   

During DEF CON 33, over 40 companies signed up to pitch innovative technologies designed to ingest heterogeneous, disaggregated, noisy data sources, discover the most valuable information across multiple data sets in near-real time, and disseminate outputs in an object-ready format. These solutions aim to equip DOD analysts and decision-makers with timely, actionable intelligence—transforming raw data into decisions that can save lives on the battlefield.  

Following an initial vetting process by three subject matter experts, xTech selected 18 businesses to pitch their cutting-edge technologies live to a panel of six DOD experts. The judges assessed the technical merit and operational value of each solution, ultimately identifying six winning companies at the end of the pitch event. 

xTech is proud to announce the winners for xTechLive at DEF CON, 2/3rds of whom reported no experience of working with the DOD:  

xTechLive Winners 

• 1st Place ($25,000): Hoplynk, Inc., USA  

• 2nd Place ($25,000): Perseus Defense, USA  

• 3rd Place ($15,000): Incerta Strategy Partners, USA  

• 4th Place ($15,000): OpenInfer, USA  

• 5th Place ($10,000): Pryzm, USA  

• 6th Place ($10,000): PeopleTec, Inc., USA  

xTechLive’s Format Fuels Its Growing Momentum  

The xTech Program launched its inaugural xTechLive competition in January at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally scheduled for 30 live pitches, overwhelming interest—with a line of businesses wrapped around the corner—prompted xTech to expand the schedule to accommodate additional participants. Ten winners were announced during a high-energy finale on the Eureka Park Main Stage, each awarded $10,000 for breakthrough solutions in Army modernization areas like artificial intelligence, Internet of Things/sensing, and robotics. 

Building on that momentum, the second xTechLive competition took place at SOF Week 2025 in Tampa, Florida, in partnership with the ISR Task Force. Innovators pitched novel technologies focused on deep-sensing capabilities, further reinforcing xTech’s role in connecting nontraditional businesses with defense stakeholders and spotlighting the Army’s commitment to sourcing solutions from across the innovation ecosystem. In August 2025, the winners of xTechLive at SOF Week demonstrated their technologies in White Sands, New Mexico, as a part of the ISR Task Force and xTech Demo Day.  

“In response to the Secretary of Defense’s call for aggressive modernization, Headquarters, Department of the Army, G-2 joined forces with xTechLive at DEF CON to bridge the Army’s operational needs with the cutting-edge innovation of America’s industrial base,” said Mr. Andrew Evans, Director, Strategy and Transformation, Army ISR Task Force. “This unique forum empowers companies to present breakthrough solutions directly to the Department of Defense, accelerating the path to war-winning capabilities. By continuing to lower barriers to entry and actively engaging with unconventional innovation communities, we are not just modernizing—we are reshaping the future of national defense.”  

Following the success of xTechLive at SOF Week, xTechLive at DEF CON is the second live competition in collaboration with the ISR Task Force. This live pitch format provides a powerful opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses to showcase their innovations directly to Army and DOD experts, fostering real-time engagement and feedback. By facilitating this direct exchange, the event accelerates the Army’s process for discovering and fielding mission-critical, next-generation technologies. 

About the Army xTech Program 

 The Army xTech Program is the Army’s premier tool for scouting and accelerating dual-use technologies that directly enhance Soldier readiness and mission success. Through dynamic prize competitions like xTechSearch, xTech identifies breakthrough solutions and opens doors for nontraditional companies to engage with and deliver capabilities to the Army. Since its launch in 2018, xTech has awarded over $30 million in non-dilutive cash prizes across 46 competitions—fueling innovation pipelines and delivering transformative technologies that matter on the battlefield.    

Stay Updated 

Subscribe to email updates or check back on the Army xTech website. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Flickr. For inquiries, contact us at the Army xTech mailbox. 

Any references to commercial products or services are not, and shall not, be construed as official Army or DOD endorsements.