Summit to convene local and national stakeholders in Little Rock, Arkansas, September 17-19th for national event.  Forge Institute today announced the initial speaker and sponsor lineup for the 7th Annual Forge Summit. Taking place September 17-19 in Little Rock, the summit will convene top experts from the front lines of corporate and national security to provide actionable strategies for defending America's critical industries and opportunities to securely leverage emergent technologies to advance critical technology capabilities for national security. 

Forge Institute invites the community to experience the next wave of aerospace and defense innovation at the highly anticipated Phoenix Xcelerator Demo Day. This premier event, taking place on Thursday, May 29, 2025, from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM at the Clinton Presidential Center, marks the culmination of an intensive 12-week accelerator program featuring a cohort of promising startups from Arkansas and across the country, poised to impact national security and boost Arkansas’s economy.

The Forge Institute is proud to announce the startups selected for the highly competitive Phoenix Xcelerator program. After an extensive review of applicants from across the nation, these early-stage innovators have been chosen for their cutting-edge solutions and potential to disrupt their categories. 

Forge Institute today announced the launch of Atomic Anvil, a groundbreaking program designed to bolster national security by connecting researchers, entrepreneurs, and non-traditional entities to mission partners within the Department of Defense. This initiative, in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Academic Partnership Engagement Experiment (APEX) Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with Parallax Advanced Research (Parallax), will accelerate technology transfer and transition to address critical national security needs.

The Forge Institute proudly announces Walter Burgess as the Entrepreneur-in-Residence for the Phoenix Xcelerator Program. With over 28 years of leadership in technology and innovation, Walter brings unparalleled insight to this flagship initiative, which empowers early-stage entrepreneurs and strengthens the national defense ecosystem.