QUANTICO, Va. -- Just a week after warning U.S. universities that foreign adversaries are exploiting academic research, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and its partners issued another alert that international pitch competitions are being used to steal innovations from Western startups.
The new guidance, led by the National Counterintelligence and Security Center in partnership with AFOSI, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service and the Office of Economic Security and Emerging Technologies, warns that international pitch competitions are giving foreign adversaries direct access to emerging technologies and talent.
“International pitch competitions should be a nurturing ground for innovation, not a hunting ground for foreign threat actors and competitors to coopt Western technology and talent for their own benefit,” said James Cangialosi, NCSC acting director.
The bulletin, titled "Safeguarding Western Tech Startups: Exploitation of International Pitch Competitions,” warns that technologies from artificial intelligence to propulsion systems are especially at risk. For example, it cites events in Atlanta in 2023 and 2024 where organizers openly promoted their role in attracting overseas talent.
Startups, officials said, are often pressured to hand over sensitive data, from patent filings and financial records to passport information. Since 2016, one Chinese government–affiliated organizer has collected more than 7,400 pitches from companies worldwide.
“U.S. startups are driving the innovation that fuels America’s economy and provides the technology advantage our military relies on,” said an AFOSI Center senior intelligence analyst. “But foreign adversaries are increasingly exploiting the fast-paced, high-risk world of startups to quietly siphon away critical breakthroughs.”
The pitch competition warning follows a similar bulletin released Aug. 25, titled “Safeguarding Academia,” which cautioned universities about the same foreign efforts to target research at its earliest stages.
On the ground efforts
That follow-on advisory was spearheaded in part by Special Agent David E. Leslie and his team at National Security Detachment (NSD) 123 in Boston.
“The hard work and creativity from NSD Det. 123 this was truly a team effort,” Leslie said. “It demonstrates the power of collaboration, both within AFOSI and with our partners.”
“We could not have asked for better support from the NSD enterprise, our federal law enforcement colleagues, the U.S. intelligence community and our international counterparts at CSIS,” he added.
According to Leslie, the latest bulletin reflects the command’s broader mission to “aggressively disrupt foreign influence, ownership and control of Department of the Air Force (DAF) equities,” he said.
That mission is carried out in large part by the NSDs, he said, which were activated in 2020 to protect emerging technologies at the earliest stages of development.
These eight cross-functional units are strategically placed in the nation’s most influential technology corridors, from Silicon Valley to Boston, where they provide counterintelligence, law enforcement and analytical support inside the innovation ecosystems adversaries most seek to exploit.
Through initiatives like SPARTAN CITADEL, AFOSI’s expanded technology protection program, the NSDs work alongside federal partners, universities and startups to identify and neutralize threats before they reach sensitive technologies or supply chains.
“By integrating our NSDs, AFOSI, alongside our counterparts, stays ahead of potential threats,” Leslie said. “When it comes to technology protection, we are the partners you want in the fight.”
Consistent threats
Together, the paired advisories highlight how adversaries target the full innovation lifecycle, from academic research to early-stage startups.
“These bulletins show the threat is consistent across environments,” the AFOSI analyst said. “Whether it begins in a university lab or a pitch competition, adversaries are looking for the same thing, early access to technology before it can be protected.”
Officials added that most startups already face an unforgiving market, with many struggling to secure funding and survive their first years. Foreign exploitation adds a new layer of danger.
“For most companies, especially startups, it’s not that they’re malicious,” the analyst said. “They’re focused on building their technology, not thinking about counterintelligence. Our job is to show them how adversaries use legal business structures, like partnerships, funding, licensing agreements, to quietly gain access to American innovation.”
In addition, the bulletin urges startups to take precautions, including securing patents before pitching, carefully vetting organizers and investors, using non-disclosure agreements when possible and limiting what they disclose on stage.
“Protecting emerging technology is protecting America’s future,” said Pearl S. Mundt, AFOSI’s executive director. “Our adversaries know the value of U.S. innovation, but so do we. AFOSI is committed to staying ahead of the threat so that American breakthroughs strengthen our military and not someone else’s.”
Editor’s note:
If you suspect your startup has been targeted, report concerns to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov/, or the Air Force Office of Special Investigations at https://www.osi.af.mil/Submit-a-Tip/.