Light the spark, watch it grow

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) is inviting bold thinkers to participate in the MTO Spark Tank, which will be held July 24-25, 2025, in Aurora, Colo. The event is designed to expand DARPA's engagement with stakeholders across the innovation ecosystem – particularly small businesses, startups, and others who haven't worked with DARPA before and are looking to catalyze transformative advances in microsystems.

MTO Spark Tank is an opportunity for interested teams and organizations to engage with MTO leadership and program managers. The event will provide attendees with:

• Insight into MTO's mission and thrust areas, including photonic, quantum, and organic circuits; ecosystem disruption via differentiated microsystem manufacturing tools and approaches; and dual-use design technologies that can strengthen both national security and scale commercially.
• One-on-one sidebar meetings with MTO program managers to explore research alignment and potential opportunities for collaboration.
• Guidance on working with DARPA, with a focus on lowering barriers to entry for first-time proposers.

Registration for MTO Spark Tank opens April 10, 2025. More information can be found on the Spark Tank event page and SAM.gov.

MTO Pitch Day

To accelerate engagement, MTO will host an invitation-only Pitch Day on July 25 for select proposers. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their concepts directly to MTO program managers for potential funding of up to $400,000 for short-term exploratory efforts. This initiative aims to fast-track transformative ideas that could evolve into future DARPA programs.

MTO is looking for revolutionary – not evolutionary – research ideas that align with the following technical areas of interest:

• Unconventional Computing: Exploring new paradigms beyond traditional digital computing, with the potential to improve speed, energy efficiency, and processing capabilities.
• Biologically Inspired Microsystems: Developing electronic microsystems that integrate biomolecules and leverage biological principles for superior sensing and computation capabilities.
• Commercially Catalyzed Defense Deployment: Leveraging commercial-scale technologies to enhance national security and create a self-sustaining ecosystem for accelerating defense-specific microsystem deployment.

To be considered for Pitch Day participation, interested parties must submit a short abstract consisting of a technical description of the proposer's idea in response to one of the focus areas listed above.

The submission deadline is April 23, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET. DARPA will notify offerors if they are selected for further evaluation via an in-person Pitch Day presentation.

"Our goal is to engage with new and non-traditional performers, identifying and providing quick support for high-risk, high-reward ideas that could completely transform our microsystem-powered world," explained MTO Director Dr. Whitney Mason. "MTO Spark Tank and Pitch Day are new entry points into DARPA MTO for fresh perspectives and groundbreaking concepts."

Further details on the Pitch Day submission process can be found on the Pitch Day event page and in the Pitch Day solicitation on SAM.gov.

Key dates | Spark Tank & Pitch Day

• April 10, 2025 – Spark Tank registration opens
• April 23, 2025 at 12 p.m. ET – Pitch Day abstract deadline
• May 7, 2025 – Pitch Day invitations delivered
• June 30, 2025 – Spark Tank registration deadline
• July 24-25, 2025 – Spark Tank
• July 25, 2025 – Pitch Day

For questions, contact MTO Spark Tank or MTO Pitch Day.

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Media with inquiries should contact DARPA Public Affairs.

Editor's Note: This update was edited on 3/28/25 to include additional details on Pitch Day.