Welcome to the Hyperspace + SpaceWERX SBIR Phase II Challenge Fall 2025

Since 2018, the Hyperspace Challenge has been proudly funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and powered by CNM Ingenuity, supporting startups and researchers pushing the boundaries of space innovation. Over the years, our alumni have grown from zero government funding to securing $600 million in contracts—making remarkable progress and impact across the defense and commercial space sectors.

This year, we’re excited to partner with SpaceWERX to support the advancement of Space System Command’s Operational Test and Training Infrastructure (OTTI) by identifying Phase II companies with cutting-edge capabilities in key areas. These include:

Data Processing and Integration.
Pattern of Life (PoL) Characterization & Analysis.
Digital Twins.

Eligibility Requirements:
To participate, companies must be classified as a small business and have a Phase II SBIR contract from any U.S. government organization—either within six months of completion or no more than two years post-award. We are seeking companies with cutting-edge technologies that are uniquely positioned to solve real-world operational challenges in national security and space.

Selected companies will receive:

Direct access to government customers for pitching and real-time customer discovery
14 hours of consultation with some of the best experts in the business, tailored to help you sharpen your strategy, technical approach, and government alignment
Opportunities to engage with key stakeholders and potential industry partners, opening doors for future collaboration and funding

****There is NO promise of funding of any sort as a result of participating in this cohort.

Important Participation Details:
This accelerator has a short turnaround time. Participants should be prepared to commit a significant portion of their time in October for programming and engagements. Additionally, in-person attendance is required in Albuquerque, NM on November 5–6 for final presentations and collaboration events.

We encourage all qualified companies to apply.

How Hyperspace Challenge Works:

Learn about this year’s challenge statement.

View the challenge statement.

Register to Attend the Informational Webinar on September 4, 2025. Click here.

During this virtual gathering, government/non-government representatives from Hyperspace Challenge and SpaceWERX will discuss the non-technical aspects of the application process.
Come to learn what to expect from the cohort, the time commitment should you be selected, what outcomes you can expect, etc.
The recording will be available immediately following the event and shared [here].

Review and apply to be part of the cohort.

Teams develop applications explaining how their phase II work responds to specific mission needs.
Please use the questionnaire and rubric [here] to prepare your responses prior to inputting them into the application platform.
We do not expect the application to take more than a few hours to complete.
Application deadline is Tuesday, September 16 at 5pm Mountain (7pm Eastern).
If selected as a finalist, the team is then asked to attend an onboarding meeting in September and educational webinars throughout the month of October. FIRST MEETING WILL BE ON OCT. 6, 2025
Teams should expect approximately 9 hours of virtual work along with possible additional homework.
Teams should expect approximately 5 hours of virtual one-on-one consultant meetings.

Participate in the Hyperspace + SpaceWERX Summit

As a final stage of the accelerator, selected teams will participate in the annual two-day Hyperspace + SpaceWERX Summit: November 5– 6, 2025. During this in-person portion of the program, teams interact with government sponsors and customers to illustrate how a team’s capabilities fit mission needs.

Would you like to sponsor this event?

Contact [email protected] for more information.