Arlington Startup Chosen By U.S. Army To Build Virtual Tech Summit

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Ballston-based FedTech was chosen to build a virtual technology summit for the United States Army.

Though FedTech specializes in advising startups and developers looking to turn deep tech products into profitable businesses, the company also is working to construct a platform for the Army’s online, three-day xTech Summit.

FedTech will build three virtual stages for xTech that attendees can toggle between to hear speakers, panels and companies discussing novel technologies that the Army could potentially use. The event is being held September 9-11 and is open to the public.

“The mission is [for the xTech summit] to be this awesome advanced technology showcase event that is valuable to non-Army eyeballs and the general public that is interested in the types of technologies that are out there in the U.S., but led by” Army-related technology, FedTech Principal Will Dickson said.

On the summit’s main stage, finalists in an Army-run xTechSearch competition will present their technologies and vie for a $250,000 prize.

The competition identifies startups with products that could “tackle the Army’s most critical modernization challenges,” according to its website. Startups are put into an accelerator to prepare it to handle creating contracts with the Army and becoming a commercial company.

FedTech built and operates this accelerator, which companies spend 5-6 months in receiving entrepreneurial advice and education from FedTech employees. The xTech accelerator is similar to one that FedTech offers to other startups.

“Our accelerator is for deep tech ventures, helping those businesses leverage the resources and customers that are within the U.S. government, primarily the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, but also helping them be successful out in the real world,” said Dickson, who is the accelerator program’s lead. “This could include access to venture capital, mentorship, demystification [of government contracts] and educational content. Whatever it takes to get these founders from point A to point B.”

Companies that recently completed the FedTech accelerator and are finalists in the Army’s competition have products like a drug therapy meant to treat battlefield hemorrhage, a rapid infection test that looks for up to 100 different diseases, and a high-performance lithium battery.

Photos courtesy FedTech