St. Louis startup WingXpand, which has developed an expandable drone designed to fit inside a backpack, has been chosen as one of 20 finalists in the U.S. Army’s xTechSearch 7 technology competition.
Its selection as finalist includes participation in an an accelerator program ahead of a chance to pitch in June to be named a contest winner. WingXpand also receives a $20,000 cash prize as a finalist, with a chance to earn more money if it’s selected as winner of the xTechSearch 7 competition.
The Army’s xTechSearch competition aims to connect small businesses with the Department of Defense, with a mission of sourcing technologies that have potential to be used by the military. The 20 finalists selected in the xTechSearch 7’s competition include companies with products focused on a range of technologies, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, clean energy and navigation. The finalists were among more than 750 applicants for the xTechSearch 7 contest, the Army said.
“It’s exciting because the Army is really trying to lean forward into innovation and the xTechSearch 7 search is really their codified way that they’ve established to do it,” said James Barbieri, co-founder and CEO of WingXpand.
Participating in the xTechSearch 7 competition provides an opportunity for WingXpand to showcase its technology to the Army. The startup, which publicly launched in 2022, has created a drone it describes as a “plane in a pack,” with a portable design using patented technology that allows its wings to be stored in a backpack and expand to an 8-foot wingspan. In addition to its portable design, WingXpand says it's built a drone that flies five times longer and carries 10 times more weight than a typical drone.
WingXpand has positioned its drone as a tool that can be used by defense entities to gather aerial intelligence while also focusing on commercial markets, including agriculture, public safety and insurance. Its selection as a finalist in the xTechSearch 7 competition marks the second time within the past year it has been chosen for an accelerator program that includes a branch of the U.S. armed forces. WingXpand was selected in 2022 as one of 12 companies to participate in the TechStars LA & Space Accelerator program, a business development program staged with the U.S. Space Force and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Barberi and WingXpand co-founder and President Michelle Madaras said in an interview the xTechSearch 7 accelerator program will give the company a chance to engage with mentors and experts who can help advance its technology. There could be chances, too, to team up with other finalists, the co-founders said.
“We already feel like winners, making it to the finalist round because of all of the resources that the Army is pouring into not just us, but these other innovative companies,” Barbieri said. “We’re excited because there's going to be a lot of opportunities even for collaboration with some of these other companies in some complementary technology areas.”
Finalists in the xTechSearch7 competition will pitch to officials from the Army and Department of Defense in June at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo in Washington, D.C. Winners of the contest will receive $25,000 in cash and be able to apply for a $250,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research contract, according to the Army.
WingXpand’s selection in the competition comes as it has recently expanded its team with new hires, growing its team to 10 full- and part-time employees. It says it is hiring for roles that involve software engineering, aircraft hardware engineering, composites manufacturing, business development and drone piloting.
