By Tara Clinton, Office of Army Innovation Programs

TAMPA, Fla. – The U.S. Army xTech Program, in partnership with the U.S. Army Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Task Force, hosted the second iteration of xTechLive at Special Operation Forces Week 2025, held May 6-7, 2025. With a $100,000 prize pool, the competition sought cutting-edge technologies that could transform how the Army conducts deep sensing and intelligence gathering across complex terrains from small and medium-sized businesses.

xTechLive is more than a competition—it’s a direct pipeline for delivering cutting-edge industry innovation to the Army. The program also demystifies the acquisitions process for nontraditional innovators. By showing that programs like xTech exist, innovators will see the Army as an accessible and clear path for getting solutions in front of key defense stakeholders.

During SOF Week 2025, xTech selected 18 businesses from a competitive pool of applicants to pitch their cutting-edge technologies live to Army and SOF leaders, demonstrating capabilities aligned to high-priority operational needs.

A panel of six expert judges from U.S. Special Operations Command, U.S. Marine Forces Special Operations Command, U.S. Army ISR Task Force, U.S. Army Pacific, and the U.S. Army Futures Command – Army Applications Lab evaluated each solution’s technical potential and mission relevance. At the conclusion of the pitch event, xTechLive selected six companies as winners. Each winner received cash prizes and recognition for their technologies’ strong alignment to operational requirements in the U.S. Indo-Pacific area of operations.

xTech is proud to announce the winners for xTechLive at SOF Week:

xTechLive Winners

• 1^st Place ($25,000): Icarus, USA
• 2^nd Place ($25,000): Bounce Imaging, USA
• 3^rd Place ($15,000): Latakoo, USA
• 4^th Place ($15,000): LiveLink Aerospace, USA
• 5^th Place ($10,000): Nantenna, United Kingdom
• 6^th Place ($10,000): Reveal Technology, USA

The competition winners may also have additional opportunities to participate in a future accelerator program and potential experimentation events.

The xTechLive Competition Series

The xTech Program hosted the second xTechLive competition at SOF Week 2025, building on the extraordinary success and remarkable turnout of the inaugural event held in January at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, where ten winners received a cash prize of $10,000 each.

“After the success of the inaugural xTechLive at CES in January (2025), it was exciting to see the momentum continue,” said Jess Stillman, program manager, U.S. Army xTech Program. “The Global SOF Foundation saw what we accomplished at CES and wanted to bring that same energy and opportunity to SOF Week. With support from GSOF and our partner organization, the Army ISR Task Force—who provided the focused technology need—we were able to identify several companies with promising solutions for the Army. xTech is designed to connect industry innovators with Army stakeholders, and xTechLive is another powerful avenue for collaboration that helps accelerate the transition of cutting-edge technology to the warfighter.”

Why xTechLive Matters

Designed for speed and impact, the xTechLive format enables nontraditional innovators to pitch their technologies directly to Army and DoD stakeholders, receiving immediate feedback and sparking real-time engagement. This interactive approach reflects xTech’s core mission by removing barriers between industry and the DoD to accelerate the discovery, evaluation and transition of breakthrough solutions to Soldiers.

By hosting xTechLive events, the program expands its reach to a broader community of innovators and demonstrates how accessible and streamlined it is for industry to engage with the Army through xTech. These events reinforce the fact that contributing to national defense doesn’t require a traditional defense background – what matters most is bringing forward a strong solution and engaging, learning and aligning that solution with the Army’s operational needs.

About the Army xTech Program

Since its inception in 2018, the Army xTech Program has become a catalyst for innovation, bridging the gap between emerging technology developers with Army stakeholders. More than just competitions, xTech provides participants with essential feedback, training and meaningful opportunities to network. By hosting multiple competitions annually, the program accelerates the development of dual-use technologies that directly address Army needs, enabling innovators to refine their solutions, navigate the defense ecosystem and transition towards partnerships that deliver meaningful capabilities to Soldiers.

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