SOFWERX
Defense & Space · Run by DEFENSEWERX (501(c)(3)) in partnership with USSOCOM · Tampa, FL
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 publishedNot a cohort accelerator: an innovation platform connecting companies to USSOCOM via Tech Tuesday pitch slots, assessment/technical experimentation events, tech sprints, RFIs, and SBIR opportunities that can lead to government contracts. No equity taken and no fixed award amount, hence nulls. Site listed multiple SBIR/event deadlines July-September 2026 but no single program deadline date was extractable, so next_deadline is null.
- Equity taken
- Not publishedNot a cohort accelerator: an innovation platform connecting companies to USSOCOM via Tech Tuesday pitch slots, assessment/technical experimentation events, tech sprints, RFIs, and SBIR opportunities that can lead to government contracts. No equity taken and no fixed award amount, hence nulls. Site listed multiple SBIR/event deadlines July-September 2026 but no single program deadline date was extractable, so next_deadline is null.
- Program length
- Not published
- Format
- Hybrid
- Location
- Tampa, FL
- Cohorts per year
- Not published
- Cohort size
- Not published
- Stage focus
- any stage; small businesses to labs
- Sub-vertical
- special operations technology
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM)
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Not a cohort accelerator: an innovation platform connecting companies to USSOCOM via Tech Tuesday pitch slots, assessment/technical experimentation events, tech sprints, RFIs, and SBIR opportunities that can lead to government contracts. No equity taken and no fixed award amount, hence nulls. Site listed multiple SBIR/event deadlines July-September 2026 but no single program deadline date was extractable, so next_deadline is null.
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Terms in plain English
SOFWERX is a front door to US Special Operations Command, not an accelerator: it runs pitch events, technical assessment events and tech sprints that can lead to non-dilutive government contracts, and no equity is ever taken. Money arrives, when it does, as a contract or SBIR award rather than an investment, and many activities such as Tech Tuesday pitch slots pay nothing directly. SBIR proposals tied to SOFWERX-relevant topics go through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) at dodsbirsttr.mil during set solicitation windows. There is no cohort, no demo day and no published award amount, because funding depends on which specific opportunity you win.
Who this is actually for
Companies of any size with technology relevant to special operations forces, from small businesses to research labs, that want direct engagement with USSOCOM stakeholders in Tampa or virtually. Best for teams comfortable with event-driven procurement: you respond to a specific assessment event, RFI, sprint or SBIR topic rather than joining a program.
Application windows
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Jul 22, 2026.