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

Applications are Closed.

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.

In 2025, we partnered 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 included:

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

Eligibility Requirements:
To participate, companies had to 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 sought after companies with cutting-edge technologies that were uniquely positioned to solve real-world operational challenges in national security and space.

Selected companies received:

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.

How Hyperspace Challenge Works:

Informational Webinar held on September 4, 2025.

During this virtual gathering, government/non-government representatives from Hyperspace Challenge and SpaceWERX discussed the non-technical aspects of the application process, including expectations from the cohort, the time commitment, and outcomes to expect.
Important details that were answered during the webinar.

Applications to be part of the cohort.

Teams developed applications explaining how their phase II work responds to specific mission needs.
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 expected approximately 9 hours of virtual work along with possible additional homework.
Teams expected 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 participated in a two-day Hyperspace + SpaceWERX Summit: Jan 13- 14, 2026. During this in-person portion of the program, teams interacted with government sponsors and customers to illustrate how their team’s capabilities fit mission needs.

Reach out to [email protected] for more information.