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Our mission is to turn every university into a solution engine. A place where students use cutting-edge tools, mentorship, and entrepreneurship competitions to launch scalable ventures that solve the world’s toughest problems.
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To Our Community,
If I had to describe the 2025 year in a single word, it would be momentum.
When we launched xFoundry last year, we set out to prove that extraordinary things happen when students from every discipline unite to take on humanity’s grand challenges. This year, that vision came to life. We witnessed ideas turn into ventures, learners turn into leaders, and an emerging community turn into a movement.
The accomplishments of our community have been remarkable. We completed our inaugural Xperience Competition focused on School Safety and crowned Team DefenX as our first winner. We are now preparing them to launch a venture built around their solution, supported by a $250,000 investment. Watching these students evolve from classmates into founders has been among the most inspiring moments of our journey.
And the momentum didn’t stop there.
We reached for new heights: We co-hosted NEXPLORE 2040 with NASA at the new Amazon HQ2 building in Arlington, VA. This brought new energy into our ecosystem, welcoming partners like Intel and Oura, and expanding our network of experts and universities.
We grew: We welcomed four new university members, our Xpert network grew with over one hundred new experts and mentors, and secured over $700K to accelerate student innovation. We also expanded our facilities by opening the new Intel Edge AI Lab within the ALEx Garage, dedicated to building models and systems.
We stayed the course: Our Crossfire team continued its impressive trajectory, advancing to the semifinal stage of the $11M XPRIZE Wildfire Competition among hundreds of international teams.
We evolved: We’ve made it easier than ever for students and universities to become a part of xFoundry. By digitizing our curriculum and making it asynchronous, students across the country can access our multidisciplinary training, regardless of schedule or location.
We looked ahead: Our second Xperience Competition is already underway, this time targeting a new grand challenge: Mental Health. More than 190 students have already registered, with participation expected to grow substantially before the close of registration in March 2026.
So, where are we heading? As we prepare to spin out xFoundry as an independent nonprofit, our mission remains unchanged. We were founded by, launched from, and proudly rooted in the University of Maryland. Now we are ready to scale our model nationwide, lowering barriers for universities to join us and unlocking the brilliance of even more students.
We will stay multidisciplinary. We will continue breaking silos. We will keep solving grand challenges, because the future demands nothing less.
Let’s get to work.
Amir Ansari
Founder and Executive Director, xFoundry Alliance
Co-Founder and Executive Director, IDEA Factory, University of Maryland
In Gratitude to the generosity, belief, and tireless support of the sponsors, partners, University of Maryland leaders, mentors, and students.
Key metrics
of 2025
This past year, xFoundry made waves. We brought together students and experts from dozens of disciplines and industries: engineers, designers, business minds, technologists, all ready to build. Give talented people the right tools and environment, and they don't just participate, they transform. They tackle real problems and drive the kind of change that lasts.
This annual report shows how xFoundry connects students, mentors, and industry professionals to build intelligent systems, secure seed funding, share expertise, and give students direct access to leaders in their fields.
794
Students participated
+
$
700
K
in sponsorship, donation, and equipment
5
university members
50
Degree programs
6
sponsors
27
partners
A year of events
35
Events
879
Attendees
4
University of Maryland athletic games
2
Panels
1
Conference
9
Info sessions
19
Mixers
The word is getting out!
This year, xFoundry caught the attention of major media outlets with features highlighting the groundbreaking work our students are building.
UMD students use AI to detect weapons in schools
For students born after the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, active shooter drills have become a routine part of growing up.
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UMD students create firefighting drone as part of contest to end destructive wildfires
The team of engineers designed a flying firefighter, a drone that can both detect and suppress wildfires before they get out of control.
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Student Entrepreneurs Win $250K to Develop Tech to Detect Guns, Track Suspects in Schools
DefenX’s win was announced during a gathering of investors, panelists and UMD stakeholders, at NEXPLORE 2040 future technology summit.
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Growing our Xpert network
Our Xpert family grew to include local, national, and global leaders, all eager to mentor student teams, advise on challenge topics, and advocate for our mission.
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4
new University Members
This year, four new universities joined the xFoundry Alliance. They came ready to give students hands-on, real-world experience and prepare them for what's actually coming in tech.
6
founding members of the Pioneer Circle
These are the people who showed up when it mattered most, championed xFoundry at critical moments, and helped push our mission forward when we needed it.
Everyone talks about experiential learning, but very few know what it actually means. xFoundry is the best example I’ve seen of how to execute it at scale.
paul kim
Founder, KNOW.CAPITAL
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 Associate Administrator, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA
4
new Xperts join student support team
Our mentor family grew to 19 Xperts who work directly with student teams through feedback sessions, office hours, guest lectures, and field interviews.
Juliana C. Neelbauer
Fox Rothschild LLP
Vikram Manikonda
University of Maryland
Darrell McGraw
Consulting Solutions
Brendan McNelly
JHU/APL
