AI & digital systems
Responsible systems, accessible tools, data practices and technology designed around human needs.
02 / What we back
Science, technology and public value.
XTF is interested in work that starts with a meaningful question, uses technology with purpose and makes its reasoning open to examination.
A field does not make a project valuable. Its question, method and consequences do.
How we think about focus.
The areas below are a map, not a checklist. Work may move between disciplines, combine physical and digital systems or create a new category entirely.
Across every field, XTF looks for a clear problem context, a credible method, responsible testing, honest limits and a reason the work should exist beyond its maker.
Climate & energy
Evidence-led approaches to resilience, efficiency, adaptation and sustainable infrastructure.
Robotics & hardware
Physical systems that make a measurable task safer, clearer, more efficient or more possible.
Health & biotechnology
Careful investigation where safety, evidence, consent and ethics remain central.
Public-interest technology
Tools and research that improve access, rights, civic life, education and shared capacity.
Creative technology
Interfaces, experiences and media that help people understand, imagine or participate.
03 / What strong work shows
Technology is not the argument.
A project must explain what problem it addresses, what existing work it has learned from and what evidence would count as progress.
Context
Who experiences the problem, what causes it and why does it matter now?
Method
What will be observed, tested or compared—and what could change the conclusion?
Responsibility
What risks, exclusions, safety questions or unintended consequences need attention?
Usefulness
Who can use the result, learn from it or carry the work forward?
04 / Our position
The question comes before the category.
A strong project may fit more than one focus area. Programs publish their specific scope and eligibility before applications open.