DBX Microelectronics Challenge
Seven microelectronics firms received nearly $10 million in combined funding to commercialize technologies of interest to the U.S. military services as winners of the Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) Microelectronics Challenge.
About the Challenge
This groundbreaking initiative is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) and led by the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics (USPAE). The challenge aims to revolutionize how the DoD drives the development of dual-use technology, which can be used for both civilian and military applications.
The challenge is testing the hypothesis that the DoD can accelerate growth of a robust domestic industrial base by focusing its resources on commercialization of early-stage, hardware-intensive technologies and then scaling them into resilient businesses in partnership with private capital.
Remarkable Results
Within just a ten-week period, the DBX effort achieved unprecedented speed and efficiency:
Microelectronics entries solicited
Finalists pitched to investors
Total awarded to 7 firms
Unprecedented Speed
Contracts were signed within an hour of award and money was transferred to awardees' banks within 48 hours. This resulted in USPAE and the DBX program being cited in The National Defense Strategy: June 2024 Interim Implementation Report as an example of "Flexible Acquisition."
Learn More About DBX
Explore the DBX Cluster Accelerator and learn how you can participate in future challenges.