ABOUT US
Intro and Bio
As the innovation arm of the Department of the Air Force and powered by the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming innovative technology developers with Airman and Guardian talent.
The four core arms of AFWERX - AFVentures, Spark, Prime and SpaceWERX - serve to expand the defense industrial base for advanced technologies, empower Airmen and Guardian talent, and drive faster technology transition to operational capability.
AFWERX teams internationally across academia, industry and government to develop technology, expand talent, and transition dual-use capabilities.
Our main goals:
- Unleash Airmen and Guardian potential to create a thriving, productive, and enduring innovation ecosystem in the Department of the Air Force.
- Solve problems and enhance the effectiveness of the service by enabling thoughtful, deliberate, ground-up innovation.
Key Lines of Effort include but are not limited to:

Col Elliott J. Leigh is the Director of AFWERX and the Chief Commercialization Officer for the Department of the Air Force. He leads the strategy and execution of approximately $1.3 billion per year across the Air Force and Space Force through AFVentures, Spark, Prime, SpaceWERX, the Small Business Innovation Research, and the Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
READ FULL BIOGRAPHYAbout AFWERX Video
AFWERX IS AN INNOVATION ARM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
AFWERX accelerates agile and affordable capability transitions by teaming innovative technology developers with Airmen and Guardian talent.
AFWERX 3.0 Recording
AFWERX 3.0 Virtual Event
Did you miss the AFWERX 3.0 Virtual Launch event? If so, we’ve got you covered. Check out the recorded session here (or play the video to the left) for all the details.