Hyperspace Challenge
Defense & Space · Run by CNM Ingenuity with Air Force Research Laboratory / SpaceWERX · Albuquerque, NM
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Jul 22, 2026- Terms model
- Non-dilutiveGives money that does not take equity: grants, prizes, or credits. Your ownership is untouched.
- Investment
- Not publishedGovernment-customer discovery accelerator, not an investment program: 2025 Fall Challenge page states 'There is NO promise of funding of any sort as a result of participating.' Selected companies receive 6-10 hours of 1:1 consulting plus access to government customers; earlier editions (e.g., 2021) offered up to $100k in cash prizes. Investment/equity null accordingly. 2025 cycle: applications closed 2025-09-16, Accelerator Week 2025-11-05/06. No 2026 cycle announced yet as of 2026-07-21, so next_deadline null.
- Equity taken
- Not publishedGovernment-customer discovery accelerator, not an investment program: 2025 Fall Challenge page states 'There is NO promise of funding of any sort as a result of participating.' Selected companies receive 6-10 hours of 1:1 consulting plus access to government customers; earlier editions (e.g., 2021) offered up to $100k in cash prizes. Investment/equity null accordingly. 2025 cycle: applications closed 2025-09-16, Accelerator Week 2025-11-05/06. No 2026 cycle announced yet as of 2026-07-21, so next_deadline null.
- Program length
- Not published
- Format
- Hybrid
- Location
- Albuquerque, NM
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Cohort size
- Not published
- Stage focus
- startups and university teams with mature tech for space missions
- Sub-vertical
- space technology for USSF/AFRL
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- Air Force Research Laboratory, SpaceWERX, U.S. Space Force, CNM Ingenuity
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Government-customer discovery accelerator, not an investment program: 2025 Fall Challenge page states 'There is NO promise of funding of any sort as a result of participating.' Selected companies receive 6-10 hours of 1:1 consulting plus access to government customers; earlier editions (e.g., 2021) offered up to $100k in cash prizes. Investment/equity null accordingly. 2025 cycle: applications closed 2025-09-16, Accelerator Week 2025-11-05/06. No 2026 cycle announced yet as of 2026-07-21, so next_deadline null.
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Terms in plain English
Hyperspace Challenge is a government customer-discovery accelerator, not a funding program. Its own 2025 Fall Challenge page states there is no promise of funding of any sort as a result of participating. Selected companies received 6 to 10 hours of one-on-one consulting plus direct access to government customers and potential industry partners, capped by an in-person accelerator week in Albuquerque. Earlier editions (for example 2021) offered cash prizes of up to $100,000, but the current model does not. No equity is taken and no investment is made.
Who this is actually for
The 2025 cycle was restricted to small businesses holding a Phase II SBIR or STTR contract from any government agency, either within six months of completion or up to two years post-award. Earlier editions also ran tracks for university research teams, so eligibility can shift cycle to cycle.
Application windows
Fall 2026 cycle, not yet announced (program has run annual fall cycles; 2025 applications closed September 16, 2025): Timing expected, exact dates not yet confirmed.
Verified date not recordedSource
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Jul 22, 2026.