A network of solution engines embedded within higher education.

Solving grand challenges through student venture competitions.

We transform ideas into companies, empowering students to lead with impact.

This collegiate program harnesses students' passion, energy, and talent, turning them into the driving force for solving real-world problems and creating new ventures.

Targeted competitions +

Our annual multi-university competitions are the cornerstone of xFoundry's mission to address specific grand challenges within our defined domains. Each competition features:

  • A focused problem statement guiding teams towards innovative solutions
  • Multidisciplinary teams of both undergraduate and graduate students
  • Experts to guide the challenge and student teams to their goal
Resource MatriX +

At xFoundry, we provide a comprehensive Resource Matrix designed to support student teams throughout the Xperience competition and beyond. This dynamic ecosystem equips participants with:

  • Funding for the winning student solutions
  • AI tools and workflows for project management, communications, and marketing
  • Expert mentorship and guidance
  • Community and mentor engagement platforms
TEAMS Philosophy =

The most innovative solutions often emerge at the intersection of diverse fields, so we intentionally combine these perspectives to prepare students to ensure we tackle grand challenges from every angle.

Technology
Entrepreneurship
Arts & Athletics
Marketing
Science
High-impact ventures

The ultimate goal of our competitions is to launch ventures that directly address identified grand challenges. This approach:

  • Transforms innovative ideas into actionable solutions
  • Removes obstacles to progress in critical areas
  • Equips students with problem-solving skills and an entrepreneurial mindset

Competitions as a vehicle

Competitions serve as a powerful vehicle for solving grand challenges by fostering innovation, encouraging diverse approaches, and motivating participants to push boundaries in pursuit of impactful solutions.

Return on investment
3.5x

For every dollar invested in a competition, there's a potential return of $3.50 in value created, showcasing the financial efficacy of these initiatives1.

breakthrough thinking
+40%

The competitive atmosphere stimulates more innovative and out-of-the-box thinking among participants, driving significant advancements in problem-solving1.

faster problem solving
5x

Competitions can lead to solutions being developed five times faster than traditional R&D approaches, enhancing the speed of innovation2.

force multiplier
20-30x

The collaborative effort of multiple teams addressing the same challenge significantly increases the chances of breakthrough solutions. This effect is amplified in competitions where diverse approaches can converge on a common problem3.

Become an affiliate

xFoundry was proudly launched at the University of Maryland, one of the top five universities in the U.S. for entrepreneurship and innovation.

a group students working in the ALEx Garage
These are the kind of minds that we need to bring together because in order for us to innovate, it really takes people that are accustomed to thinking outside the box.
Christyl Johnson, Ph.D.
Deputy Center Director for Technology and Research Investments
NASA
Seeing how people tackle the same problem from different perspectives and different angles has just been an experience that I haven't gotten in any other class here.
Om Desai '26
B.S. Public Health
School of Public Health - University of Maryland, College Park
Students aren't just learning the skills in solving grand challenges, but also the skillset to develop the problem solving process, the ideation, allowing those wild ideas for brainstorming and thinking.
Martha Wang, Ph.D.
Xperiment Faculty (XPER 433) | Assistant Director
xFoundry@UMD | Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices
This is going to lead to a memorable experience and hopefully impactful solutions that will radically change the world.
Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D.
President
University of Maryland, College Park

Built on the University of Maryland's legacy of innovation

xFoundry was proudly launched at the University of Maryland, one of the top five universities in the U.S. for entrepreneurship and innovation. UMD’s mission to tackle grand challenges through collaboration, research, and education makes it the perfect home for xFoundry.

UMD’s strategic focus on addressing global challenges aligns with xFoundry’s mission to inspire student innovation. Our close ties to UMD’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and resources like the E. A. Fernandez IDEA Factory amplifies our impact.

#5
Nationally
for entrepreneurship
Top 10
public institution
in R&D Spending