XO Armor, a company that specializes in on-site 3D printing of custom-fit protective orthotics, has been selected for the first cohort of Montgomery TechLab’s Defense Accelerator. The company, which began as a small project at Auburn University in 2019, initially focused on helping injured football players return to the field more quickly. XO Armor now provides its 3D printing services to dozens of professional and college sports teams.
The company is expanding its technology applications beyond athletics into healthcare and military contexts. Its selection for the eight-week accelerator program indicates a strategic move into the defense sector. The U.S. Army has been investing in additive manufacturing as a solution for supply challenges in contested logistics environments.
“This program not only increases our interaction with the Department of Defense stakeholders, but also helps us refine our business model and strategic approach to commercialization,” said Joe Bingold, XO Armor CEO. Bingold, a Navy veteran, noted that the accelerator will help the company build connections with the U.S. Air Force. The program aims to facilitate broader engagement across the Department of Defense.
The technology was developed in Auburn University’s Biomechanical Engineering Laboratory (AUBE LAB). Michael Zabala, Auburn Alumni Engineering Council Associate Professor, AUBE Lab director and XO Armor’s founder and chief research officer, expressed pride in the technology’s evolution. “To see something that began in the AUBE Lab as an effort to help Auburn football players now growing into a technology that can directly support the U.S. military makes me pretty proud,” he said.
Charisse Stokes, executive director of TechMGM and partner liaison for Montgomery TechLab, highlighted the potential impact of the accelerator’s participants. “The companies selected for our first defense accelerator cohort demonstrate incredible promise to strengthen our nation’s defense posture while growing Alabama’s innovation economy,” Stokes said. The Army has recently directed significant investment into Auburn’s additive manufacturing research for combat systems.
Source: eng.auburn.edu