NEXPLORE unites visionary leaders and next-generation innovators to forge high-impact partnerships and accelerate market-ready solutions to urgent challenges on Earth.
Over two days, a curated group of 400 attendees engage in multidisciplinary collaboration, connecting higher education, industry, and investment to help shape a sustainable human future on the Moon and Mars.
.jpg)
Selected focus areas in collaboration with NASA
-Logo.wine.svg){kind=logo}
NEXPLORE is the culmination of xFoundry’s experiential learning cycle, where universities generate realsolutions for industry while university students build critical skills for the AI-driven workforce.
1
Define
Industry and academia collaborate to identify critical dual-use technology challenges.
2
Solve
Multidisciplinary student teams build and validate solutions through a venture-building competition.
3
Fund
The winning team secures an investment of up to $2M from partner funds.
4
Launch
Winning MVP's and their newly-graduated founders accelerate to market with structured support.
During NEXPLORE Rumble, Horizons challenge finalists pitched their problem statements to industry professionals in a speed-dating style, receiving feedback from dozens of experts on how to refine their ideas for a chance to win the challenge and set the topic for the next Xperience competition.
University of Maryland
Rutgers University
Binghamton University
University of Maryland
Join a collaborative ecosystem where industry, academia, and capital unite to empower the next generation of innovators.
"These are the kind of minds we need to bring together because to innovate, it really takes people accustomed to thinking outside the box."
Dr. Christyl Johnson
Former Deputy Associate Administrator, NASA
“We’re so interested in xFoundry because we need people who understand how to take a big concept and drive it toimpact for humanity.”
Stacey Shulman
Vice President,
Intel Corporation
“This is a watershed moment for the University of Maryland. This is the most innovative ecosystem that we couldhave ever created.”
Darryll Pines, Ph.D.
President,
University of Maryland
"Brilliant minds were all around. The energy you created with such an eclectic group of presenters and attendees was electric and inspiring."
Amber Coyne
Healthcare and Science Industry Specialist,
SUNY Binghamton University
"You have some incredibly talented students in your program who did not shy away from the complexity of the challenges they were presented with. I was very impressed by their pitches."
Lee Anderson
Manager at Ignition Lab Delivery, KPMG
"NEXPLORE 2040 was one of the best conferences I’ve been to. It’s so inspiring to see how invested you are in our youth and the future of space exploration."
Chanel Fischetti
Committee Chair, OSMED
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine Doctor
